


Imprisoned

by Natsume_Higurashi



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-14
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2018-06-02 04:30:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 26,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6551071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natsume_Higurashi/pseuds/Natsume_Higurashi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucy is a baron's daughter. Trapped by the oppressive nature of her home after her mother's death and by her prospects for the future, she turns to a stranger with a secret to help her escape.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Betrothed

            _And though the Beast had taken Beauty captive, she grew to love the man behind the fur. The Beast loved reading, and he was more interesting than any man in the village where she and her beloved father lived._

            I close the book that I've read a dozen times by now. The much loved novel's cover, faded as it is from the many times human hands have held it, shows a beautiful lady sitting next to a grotesque prince on an entry stair. With a sigh I rub the binding of the book. Mom had read this to me when I was a child, and now here I am, seventeen, seven years since she last read it to me, and I'm still reading fairy tales.

            Slowly I stand and return the book to its place on the shelf. The library of this building, my home, is large. My father spared no expense when it came to this place. My mother was an avid reader, and when she married my father, he built her this library. Now he never comes here. Other than the servants who clean the place, I'm the only one who comes here still. It's my favorite room in the house, and the loneliest. Maybe I should explain. My mother was the daughter of a locksmith. She always had a fascination with keys, collecting interesting ones whenever she could. One day, she picked up an intricate bronze key in the marketplace of her village. My father, who had lost the key, saw her with it a few days later. That's how they met.

            Dad is a lord of a rather large piece of land. When he saw the beauty of my mother, he did his best to win her heart. Obviously he did. They married three years after they first met and then they had me two years later. Oh, my name is Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia. We were happy, Mom, Dad, and I. Our home was a place of warmth, of smiles. Key word is, it was. When I was ten, my mother got sick. Not long after, she died. Father grew distant afterwards. I've seen him maybe a handful of times in the past seven years.

            I leave the library reluctantly, this is one of the only places I feel close to Mom. Shutting the large, smooth oak door, I walk down the long hallway. I live on a rather large manor populated by me, my father, and a dozen or so servants, so it can seem abandoned at times. When I reach my room I lean against the door and slide to the ground. I place my forehead against my knees, the smooth cloth of my dress sliding against my skin. Tears fight their way past my closed eyelids and slide hotly down my face. I still miss my mother greatly. I know it's been years since she died. I should have gotten over it by now, but with my father's distance, my mother is the only parent I have. A humorless laugh escapes me. _I'm pretty messed up, aren't I?_

I don't know how long I sit there before a knock sounds on the door behind me. The vibrations rattle my spine. _Do you wanna build a snowman?_ I think ironically as I stand. "What is it?" I ask through the door. An old voice answers. "The master would like to see you," the voice says. "Tell him I'll be there in a minute." A "ma'am" comes from the hall and the sound of footsteps. I wipe the tears from my face with the heels of my hands as I walk over to the vanity. Sniffling, I examine my face in the mirror. My eyes and cheeks are red while the rest of my face is pale. If I had been wearing any make-up, it'd be running down my face. I take a moment to let the color settle back to normal as I fix my hair. My shoulder length blonde tresses had fallen out of the styling that a maid a done this morning. I take the rest of the pins out of my hair, letting it fall around my face, tickling my neck in the process. With a smile, I reach for the brush on my vanity. As the brush goes through my hair, I close my eyes and think about the story I had just been reading.

            A beautiful village girl gets kidnapped by a horrible beast and grows to love him, saving him when an angry mob tries to kill him. In the end, the beast turns into a handsome prince.

            I snort. Yeah right. That'd never happen. Magic, true love, I believed all of it when my mother was still alive; now I'm a tad more cynical. I finish fixing my hair and take a second look in the mirror. My face is still a little flushed but I doubt Dad will notice. Straightening my shoulders, I head to Dad's office. Knocking on the door I call, "Dad, it's Lucy." A moment of silence fills the air until, "Enter." At my father's command I open the door and walk in. He's facing away from me, looking out a window in the back of the room. Between us is an oak desk and along the walls are pine bookshelves filled with books. My whole family is made up of bookworms it seems.

            "You called for me?" I ask, my voice sounding small in this space of silent misery. "Yes," he says, still not looking at me. "I have a husband picked out for you. We finished closing the deal yesterday." The knowledge that I am now part of an arranged marriage, a fact that should hit me as hard as a horse and a cart, hardly even throws me off. I had been expecting this for some time now. I look too much like Mom. Dad just wants me gone. If he can get something out of it, especially an heir and a business deal, all the better. "When will I meet him?" I ask, my voice unchanging. My father finally turns around to meet my steely gaze. "He is coming here Friday. That night, there will be a ball. The next week will be your wedding."

            "Is that all?" I just want to go. Get as far away from my father, from this room, from this life as possible, even just for a few hours. "That is all," he answers, dismissing me. His back is turned to me before I can even reach the door. I manage to walk to and close the door calmly, but out in the hallway, my calm breaks. I guess I was just numb when he told me. Sobbing, I race down the corridor. I blindly run through the manor that was once my home. Now that I'm betrothed, my home is his. No. This place hasn't been my home since Mom died. Since Dad grew distant. Since joy left it.

            Somehow I find my way out into the garden. This was another of my father's gifts to my mother. Though not as large nor as magnificent as when she was alive, the garden is still beautiful and well-tended. At the edge of the garden is a copse of trees that blends in with the forest behind the manor. The dividing line between the two is a bubbling creek and a small wooden bridge. It's there, sitting on the bridge I finally find myself.

            "Ah. Hic." My sobs echo off of the trees, both wild and manicured. "Don't cry princess," I hear from the trees on the wild side of the creek. "Ahh!" I shriek, scrabbling for the other side of the bridge. During my hasty retreat, my skirt gets caught on a low growing bush, bringing me to a halt. I grab my skirt and pull in a panic. A shape moves in the corner of my eye, causing another scream to well up in my throat. I turn my head towards the figure, wanting to face whoever it is head on. What I find is a pink haired boy not much older than me. He looks frantic. "Hey, it's alright. Calm down. Don't start screaming again," he says anxiously. _Did_ I _scare_ him _?_ "Wh-who are you?" I ask. "And what are you doing here?" He seems to calm down now that it looks like I've done so. "My name is Natsu," he answers. "And as for why I'm here, I heard crying and I wanted to see where it was coming from."

            "Alright," I pause before saying his name, testing it out, "Natsu. How did you hear me? My father's lands stretch on for miles."

            The stranger, Natsu, looks around guiltily. "I, ah. I have good ears."

            " _No one_ has that good hearing," I insist. He doesn't answer. Instead he asks, "Why were you crying?"

            "That's none of your business," I snap. Assured for now that this intruder means no harm, I get back to trying to free my skirts from the bush. "Do you need some help?" he wonders, stepping closer. "I've got it," I reply sharply. I struggle for a few more minutes before I sigh and say, "Okay. I need help." Natsu crosses the bridge with a grin and kneels down in front of me. He works on the snag for a moment before the cloth comes blessedly free from the branch. "Thanks," I tell him. "My father would kill me if I tore my dress." _If he ever found out,_ I add to myself. "No problem," Natsu replies. His job done, he gets to his feet. Unfortunately, because of just what he was doing, we now stand uncomfortably close. At this proximity, I can see that this boy's eyes are a strange brown. I can't quite describe it. Almost hazel. Not fully brown but no green in his eyes. Also this stranger has an odd scent to him. Camp fire with a hint of reptile. It's an strangely good mix.

            I shake my head to snap myself out of my train of thought. Glancing up I see that Natsu has apparently been studying me as well. I'm both annoyed and embarrassed. Stepping back, I turn, planning to head back to the manor. "Wait!" Natsu calls as I walk away. I pause. "I never caught your name." I turn back to him, and with a smile I answer, "Lucy." Facing the manor again I run towards the door, feeling more light-hearted than I have for awhile.


	2. The Girl

            "Lucy," I savor under my breath. When I had first heard her crying, the girl sounded so upset. Her sobs were heart-wrenching, full of pain and loneliness that I can only began to guess the reason for. In her I sensed a kindred soul. We've both suffered the pain of loss, I can tell that much. We may come from separate backgrounds, but we're more alike than she could guess. With that thought in mind, I swear to protect her. I don't think about how odd it is to feel this protective about a stranger. A quick glance around ensures that no one is near. A ball of fire erupts from me, blocking my sight and me from others. When the fire dies, a scaled dragon stands in my place. I dart through the hole in the leafy ceiling that my impromptu landing had left, flying higher and higher until I get a good view of the estate. She's right, her father's lands stretch on for miles. I scan quickly for a place to stay for the time being. Luckily, there are some mountains a quick flight away from the manor. There are bound to be some caves there.


	3. The Stars

            It wasn't until I get back to my room that I remember the reason I was even at the bridge in the first place. I was engaged, to some man I never even met. This place isn't my home anymore. Another wave of tears threaten to overtake me. Maybe I was wrong earlier. Maybe a small part of me still dreamed of magic and true love. If I didn't, why I am I so upset about losing my chance at finding true love? Why am I wishing for magic? A magic to take me away, a knight to save me from my fate. But that only happens in story books. This is my life. I have to decide what to do with it. But I don't see how I can get out of this.

            Numbly, I take the pins out of my hair and I change into my nightgown. Outside the day bleeds into night. I push aside the French doors that lead to a small balcony and stride out to the stone railing. I lean on the cold balustrade, the icy chill of twilight sweeping through my bare arms. The sun is leaving the last few bloody spears in the sky, stars having overtaken most of the sky. It's early spring, so while the days can be summer hot, night are winter cold. I really shouldn't be out here in just a slip but I want to see the stars. Orion is disappearing on the western horizon. Overhead is Draco, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and Virgo; to the east, Hercules, Libra, Ophiuchus, Scorpio, and Leo. I gaze at these constellations in wonder. Looking at the stars always makes me feel small in the best way. It puts all of my problems into perspective. It puts me at peace.

            When I've fully calmed down, I go back inside. I don't realize how cold I am until I close the door behind me. Wrapping myself in a blanket, I blow out the candle that had been illuminating the room and go to sleep.


	4. The Day Before

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that these have been so short. I'm laying groundwork. The chapters will start to get longer again soon.

            Before I know it, it's Thursday, the day before the ball. Tomorrow I meet the man who I will spend the rest of my life with. Colleen, my maid, runs a bath for me that morning. I thank her as she leaves and then I ease my way into the steaming hot water, my hair pinned on top of my head to keep it out of the water until I start to wash it. I come out a few minutes later. Colleen helps me dry off and dress. I insist that she help me into my riding habit instead of a constricting dress. If this was going to be my last day of freedom, I was going to be truly free.

            Down at the stables the stable boy saddles up my horse for me and helps me on. "Thank you," I say to him before I ride out of the yard.


	5. Second Meeting

            I had been near her for a few days now, as near as I dare at least. I haven't left the mountain area but I can see her home from here. I've spent the last few days exploring or finding something to eat, all the while keeping the manor in my eyesight. Today, something changed. The wind is coming from the manor, and on the breeze I can smell Lucy. Breaking off from what I was doing, I follow the scent to the source. Far below me Lucy is riding across a large field on a delicate looking chestnut mare. Wanting to see her again, I find a place to land and shift where she can't see.

                                                                                             *******************************************

            A large shadow blocks the sun. Today is a relatively cloudless day, so there shouldn't be a cloud that large out. What I see when I look up surprises me enough that I have to pull up my horse. I thought I saw a-a _dragon!_ I rub my eyes and look again to make sure. It's not there now. _I must be seeing things._ Annoyed, I kick my horse up to a canter.

            "Hey!" I hear to my left. "Hey Lucy!" The voice startles me as much as that hallucination of a dragon. I pull up my horse again, gaining an irritated snort from her, and look around. It doesn't take long to spy that pink hair. "What are you doing out here?" I call curiously. Natsu jogs closer to me before answering. "I live around here," he answers. "Where?" I ask, disbelieving. "No one lives around here. No one but my family and our servants."

            "Really?" he asks, his tone indicating shock. "That explains why I haven't seen that many people."

            I smile slightly. "That still doesn't answer my question," I remind him.

            "Oh yeah. I live on that mountain." He points to the mountain is question. "You live on the mountain?" I repeat. He nods. "You don't have a home? A family?" I press. "And how long have you lived there?"

            His cheerful attitude drops at my questions. "I'm a bit of a nomad," he responds softly. "I had a father but he disappeared. And I just recently moved here."

            I bite my lip when he mentions his father. Looking at his face, so cheerful these past two times I've seen him, upset and cast downward feels wrong. Empathy wells up in me. I dismount so that I don't have to look down at him. "Natsu," I start. He raises his head to meet my eyes. "If that mountain ever gets uncomfortable or lonely, come to the manor."

            "But what about your father?" he asks. "Wouldn't he object to his daughter bringing home a stranger."

            I scoff dismissively. "He'd never even notice. But..." I trail off. I had made that offer forgetting about my engagement. "What?" he ask, concerned by my tone and the look on my face. "I won't be living at the house for long," I admit.

            "Why?" he wonders. "Are you moving?"

            "In a way," I answer. "I-My father." I take a breath. Starring at the pink-haired boy I say straight out, "I'm engaged to be married. By this time next week I'll be preparing to leave this place forever."

            "Engaged?" he questions. "Aren't you a little young for that? And why aren't you happy?"

            I smile a bit at his naivety and sigh before answering. "A noble is never too young to be engaged. I'm just lucky that I wasn't engaged as a baby. And as for why I'm not happy about it, it's an arranged marriage. I've never even met the guy. My father sprang this on me the same day you met me." I pause, biting my lip against the hot tears I can feel battling their way to freedom. "That's why I was crying. I'm leaving my home forever and my father could care less. He just wants the business deal that comes with it and the prospect of a male heir."

            I started crying again while I talked. I close my eyes and face down, not wanting to see Natsu's face and not wanting him to see mine. I feel two spots of warmth encircle me and pull me toward another large area of heat. Surprised, I open my eyes to see that Natsu had pulled me close. Not since my mother has anyone gave me a comforting hug when I cried. My sobs redouble. Natsu holds me silently the whole time I'm crying. When the tears finally stop flowing I take a small step back, putting a space between us again. I sniff and wipe away a few stray tears. "Thanks," I tell him. "And I'm sorry about that. I just met you, you shouldn't have to comfort a total stranger." That said I finally allow myself to look at his face again. His expression is not what I thought it'd be. Instead of embarrassed or flustered, he looks both protective and angry. "Natsu?"

            "Don't worry about it Lucy," he assures me with a gentle smile. "You seem like you've been waiting for that for awhile." He says the next thing in a tone that set my insides cold. "What kind of father would do something like that?"

            I hurry to reassure him. "This is actual pretty common for nobles and the rich. I saw this coming a long time ago."

            "That doesn't make it right!" he snaps. His face immediately softens when he sees my shocked expression. "Sorry," he murmurs.

            "Why do you even care so much about someone you've only seen twice?" I ask him. I can't believe he'd be this worried about me. No one has. Not since Mom. "Because you're in pain," he answers. "And I understand what it's like to lose something important to you."

            That's right. He said that he lost his father.

            "What about your mom?" he continues. "Doesn't she have anything to say about this?"

            "My-my mother died a long time ago," I confess. His mouth forms a silent, "Oh."

            We stand there in the awkward moment that the news of my mother's demise had created until I notice where the sun is in the sky. "Oh shoot, I've got to get back home," I exclaim. I turn to face my horse, a foot in the stirrup when Natsu asks, "Are you still offering to put me up at your house?"

            "Yeah," I answer, my voice questioning. "Then can I come with you?" he inquires. "Ah, I _really_ have to get home fast, so I can't walk with you," I inform him. "... But, I guess you could ride back with me." There's a silence. "Can you ride?"

            "I get extremely motion sick," he answers. Embarrassed, he rubs the back of his neck. "When riding?" I ask, disbelieving. "Yeah," he says.

            "Oh well, I guess I'll just be late," I concede. "You'll walk with me then?" Natsu asks. I nod. He smiles at me and, taking my hand, he starts walking towards the manor. Luckily Natsu's ahead of me or he'd see the blush spreading across my face.


	6. The Manor

            That is how we show up at the manor; Natsu holding my hand, my other hand leading the mare, and my face slightly red. We arrive late enough that most of the servants are already packing it in. Even the stable boy is asleep. I quietly untack my horse and put her back in her stall, giving her an apple along with the meal she missed while we were out. "Okay," I finally say to Natsu in a hushed tone. "Follow me and _be quiet._ " He nods in understanding.

            Sneaking from the stables to the house is easy, we don't employ guards here. I take Natsu through the back door since it is both easier to open and quieter. The hall is dark, a servant must have put out the lights already. There are still a few candles lit along the way so that a person up at night doesn't have to wander around in total darkness. By that dim light, I lead Natsu through the manor to the hall where my room is. There are several other rooms in this hall, all bedrooms, all empty. "Take your pick of the rooms," I tell him. "All but that one," I point to my door, "are free for the choosing."

            "Wow. There are so many rooms in just this hall. How many people can live in this house?" Natsu questions as he peeks into a few of the rooms. "I dunno," I answer. "I've never asked. Over fifty but no more than a hundred if I had to guess."

            Natsu shoots me a funny look. "You say that like it's normal," he says with narrowed eyes. "I grew up here," I shoot back. "It's normal for me. And anyway, no more than twenty or thirty of the rooms are used at a time."

            "Sounds creepy," Natsu comments. "And lonely."

            "A little," I agree. "I used to be afraid of all these empty halls, the dark corridors, but my mother told me stories about friendly monster that inhabited all of the unused rooms. She said that the reason that we left the rooms abandoned like this was because my father didn't have the heart to kick the monsters out. After she told me that, I spent hours, days, looking for those monsters she told me about." With a laugh I say, "Obviously I never did. It was just a story that she made up to comfort me. Mom told me that the monsters were shy and that's why I could never find them."

            "She sounds great," Natsu says. "She was," I respond.

            "How did she die?" he asks gently. "She-she, ah." My voice falters as I try to tell him. "She got sick. Real sick. " I take a moment to clear my throat. "What happened to your father, if I might ask?"

            "I don't know," Natsu answers, still looking through the rooms. "He just up and disappeared on me one night. That was..." he takes a moment to think, "seven years ago. I'm still looking for him."

            "Seven years ago? That's when my mother died," I comment. "That's odd," Natsu says. "Have you picked out a room yet?" I ask, exasperated, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. "They're all dusty," he complains. "Yeah," I answer. "They haven't been used in years. I don't think they've been used since before I was born."

            "You pick one," he tells me. "Fine," I sigh, smiling. I walk over to the room just to the right of mine. "Welcome to your new home, for the time being anyways." I push the door open for him to look in. "If you want, I can help you clean up."

            "Thanks," he says as he comes over. Heading to my room I say, "I'll get something to light the fireplace with."

            "Fireplace?" Natsu questions.

            "On the left wall," I inform him as I head into my room. I keep a tinderbox under my bed just in case I want to read at night. I find it quickly and head back into the hall. Natsu isn't there anymore. _Must be in the room._ I walk into Natsu's room, tinderbox in hand, to see that he's already started a fire, somehow. "I guess we won't be needing this," I comment.

            Natsu looks up from where he is kneeling in front of the crackling flames. "Oh yeah," he says, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry 'bout that. I'm pretty used to lighting my own fires."

            "No problem," I tell him. I run my hands along the back of my skirt, tucking it under my legs as I kneel down next to him. "So how do you like it?"

            "The room?" I nod. "I gotta admit, it's nice having a place with an actual roof over my head and a door at the entrance."

            "I bet," I reply with a giggle. It's been a long while since I've been this cheerful. It's nice to smile and laugh again. And I know what you're thinking, but no, I don't see Natsu as the prince that's come to rescue me and we'll live happily ever after. He's just the first real friend I've had. This place is isolated, and it's seriously hard to find a true friend among nobles. That doesn't mean that Natsu _won't_ become my prince, I'm just not expecting him to be.

            "Why don't you go to sleep," Natsu suggests. "Why?" I wonder. "I promised to help you tidy up."

            "You can help in the morning. I'd feel bad if the princess got up late because of me."

            "I'm not a princess," I correct. "And why do you think I am? I'm a daughter of a merchant turned noble."

            "I call you princess 'cause you look like one," he answers simply. "I'm going to assume that was a complement," I answer, a blush spreading across my face. "Anyway," I stand back up and dust off my dress, "I'll be right next door if you need me."

 

                                                                                          *******************************************

            I gaze at the door after she closes it. This girl, I don't understand her. How can she go from the girl who was sobbing against me to the one who was here just now? She's stronger than she looks.

            Getting up, I move over to the bed. It's covered with a white sheet coated with dust. When I remove it, a huge cloud puffs in my face. "Ah, ah, achoo!" I sniff as the dust settles back down. Because of the sheet, the bed is pretty clean. Unfortunately, there's no bedding. "Ah well, I did just spend the past few days on a cave floor."


	7. Intrusion

            I wake early the next morning. Springing out of bed, I undress as quick as I can and ease my way into the bath that the maid had drawn for me while I was undressing. "Hey Lucy!" a masculine voice calls from the bedchamber. _Eep!_ I duck under the water just in time. Natsu rounds the corner into the bathing room. "There you are," he says. "What are you..." he seems to have noticed the discarded clothing. "Sorry," he says before darting back into the bed chamber. The red on my face has nothing to do with the heat of the bath.

            Natsu stays in the other room while I finish up and dress. Decent now I walk out and ask in an annoyed tone, "Did you want anything?"

            "Ah, I just wanted to say good morning," he replies awkwardly. "I-I didn't know that you were in the bath." I take a deep breath. "It's alright," I tell him. "Have you had anything for breakfast?" He shakes his head. "Take something from the tray than," I tell him. I get most of my meals delivered to my room. There's no point eating in the dining room, I'd be eating alone either way. Licking his lips, Natsu digs into the meal.

            "There's a ball today," I inform Natsu. "I'll have to attend it, that's where I'm meeting my betrothed." A shutter runs through me when I say that. Natsu pauses in his feast and looks at me, his eye hard. "There will be many people here, so you'll probably stuck in your room."

            "What if I wanted to go?" he asks. "Hm?" I ask, surprised. "I guess I could find you something to wear. If you came in the front door and acted like you belonged, most wouldn't question your presence here. You'd need a back-story though." It probably wouldn't be that easy, but I'd like to have Natsu there when I meet the man I'm supposed to marry. I walk from the bed to the door and back a few times. Halfway from the door to the bed, I stop and clap my hands together as an idea hits me. "I got it. You'll be the son of Duke Gresson. He lives far away and has many... illegitimate children. All of his sons have noble status. Even the bastards." I flinch when I say the word. I've always hated when people call children that, just because of their mother or father's transgressions. "I can find you a suit real easy."

            "Sounds good," Natsu says. "When does the ball start?"

            "Eight o'clock tonight," I answer quickly. "Why do you want to go so bad anyway?"

            He looks toward the ground, a slight reddening on his face. "What?" I ask.

            "I, ah, I want to hang out with you there. You're the first real friend I've had in awhile," he replies. _He's just the first real friend I've had._ The thought I had last night echoes through my head. My smile is a mix of happiness and sorrow. "We're a lot alike, aren't we," I say under my breath. "Uh?" he asks. "Did you say something?" I shake my head. "No. Nothing." I grab a few pieces of food from the tray. "Let's get to work."


	8. Getting Ready. Natsu.

            I look in the mirror. It's odd, I haven't seen at my reflection very much, and now I'm all dressed up in a suit. I tug at a few pieces of clothing. "How does it look?" Lucy calls from the other side of the screen. "I guess it's good," I answer, unsure. "I'm not really sure if it's supposed to look like this."

            "Than come on out. I'll help you with anything you might have put on wrong," she tells me. With a few final tweaks to the suit, I step out from behind the screen. Lucy had picked out my suit from I don't really know where. Her father's closet maybe? While I had been changing behind the screen in her room, she had changed into her dress for the ball. When I first lay eyes on her, I freeze, stunned. Earlier I had said that she looks like a princess. Now, now she looks like a dragoness in human form. In her I see strength, grace, and a kindness that I've only ever experienced from dragons. Oh, and she's beautiful. I feel I should add that.

            "What are you staring at Natsu?" Lucy asks, a red flush spreading across her face. "Ah, nothing. Nothing," I answer, ducking my head. I rub the back of my neck nervously. "How does it look," I ask, repeating her question from earlier. "You look great in a suit," she answers, walking closer. Since I'm still looking down, all I can see are her skirts and her feet. "But why are you still wearing that scarf?" She takes one of the ends in her hand, feeling the material with her fingers. "My father gave it to me," I answer. "I never take it off." I put my hand over hers, holding the scarf in place. I see her bit her lip, though I can't say why. Through our touching hands, I can feel her pulse pick up. She's nervous, that's all I can tell. 

            I gaze down at her protectively. Tonight is not going to be a fun night for her, and I want to be there for her if she needs me. I'm about to lean down and kiss her hair to let her know that it will be alright when a sudden knock comes from her door.

            "Madam Lucy," a feminine voice calls. "Are you ready yet?"

            "Just about Colleen," Lucy answers back. Moment over, Lucy takes a step back, putting space between us again. "See you at the ball," she says with a soft smile.


	9. Getting Ready. Lucy.

            I take one last look at myself in the mirror of the vanity, Natsu using the full length mirror, before calling out, "How does it look?" I had pilfered one of my father's old suits earlier this afternoon. "I guess it's good," he answers back. "I'm not really sure if it's supposed to look like this."

            I smile, amused by his awkwardness. "Than come on out. I'll help you with anything you might of put on wrong," I tell him. A few seconds later Natsu comes out from behind the screen. In that moment, I take in the power he exudes. The feeling that, if anything were to happen to me, he'd be there to stop it, to protect me. And there's more. I never really admitted it but Natsu is handsome. I didn't focus on it originally. I like Natsu 'cause he's sweet and funny. It's not until I see him all dressed up that I notice it. Honestly, it kind of smacks me in the face, stunning me for a moment. It's not until I realize that Natsu's staring at me as openly as I am at him that I ask, ""What are you staring at Natsu?" a flush spreading across my face.

            "Ah, nothing. Nothing," he assures me, ducking his head. Rubbing the back of his neck, Natsu asks, "How does it look?" parroting my question from earlier. "You look great in a suit," I inform him, walking closer to get a better look and to adjust anything if need be. "But why are you still wearing that scarf?" I take one of the ends in my left hand, rubbing my fingers together to feel the clothe. I've never felt a material quite like it.

            "My father gave it to me," he tells me. "I never take it off." As he says that he lays a hand over mine. It's unbelievably warm. We stay like that for a moment, his hand covering mine, our bodies close together. I bit my lip nervously. This is just like those times in books, the hero and the heroine, their hearts beating as one, their bodies close together, touching. One of them would lay a hand on the other's cheek. They'd lean in. The kiss they'd share would send a flood of electricity through the both of them. My heart beats faster in fear and anticipation. I want to break away but I can't. I'm not entirely sure how we would have broken apart if it weren't for a sudden knock on my door.

            "Madam Lucy," a feminine voice calls. "Are you ready yet?"

            "Just about Colleen," I answer back. The moment over, I take a step back, putting space between us again and relieving the tension that had been crackling between us. "See you at the ball," I say with a soft smile.


	10. The Ball

            Coming down the main stair, the first thing that hits me is the noise. Music and chatter float up the steps to my ears. "Geeze," I say with a sigh. "A few minutes late and the party's already in full swing." Closer to the entrance to the ballroom the smell wafts over me; perfume, cologne, and wine. I sneeze lightly before walking into the sophisticated mayhem. Multiple people greet me, most I don't even know. When my father spots me he waves me over. "This here's my daughter, Lucy," I hear him say as I get closer. Next to him is a man in his mid-thirties. At one point he was probably handsome but, while the years have been kind to him, he does still have an aged look about his face.

            "This is Lord Markus," Dad says. "He is your betrothed." Oh. So this is the person I'm marrying. This is the man I'm to spend the rest of my life with. For a moment, a ghost of Natsu's heat presses against me. It disappears as fast as it came, leaving me with an odd sense of loss and a cold pit in my stomach. I mentally shake my head to clear it. "Hello Lord Markus. It's a pleasure to meet you," I say to him. My father leaves us alone to talk, probably hoping that we'll bond or something. Lord Markus seems like a nice enough man, besides the fact that he's perfectly willing to marry a girl half his age, but I would never be able to marry him, not willingly at least.

            I'm save by an increasingly familiar and comforting voice. "May I steal Lady Lucy from you?" Lord Markus glances over my shoulder to the speaker. He gives a nod of consent and blessedly walks away. "Thank you Natsu," I say to him, turning to face my savor. "No problem," he assures me with a toothy grin. I laugh at his flippant attitude. In the far corner the musicians start up another song. "Oh," I exclaim softly, clapping my hands together. "I love this dance. Dance with me?" I look up at Natsu's face with puppy-dog eyes. He crosses his arms and sets his face in a hard expression, breaking out of it a few seconds later, returning to the toothy grin. "I don't know how to dance to this," he warns as he takes my hands and leads me to the dance floor. "I'll teach you," I tell him. "Just don't step on my feet."

            The dance is simple. All of the couples line up, women on one side, men on the other. When the music starts, the pairs step together and put up their right hands. The hands don't touch. The two circle each other, the almost touching hands the center. After the couple makes a full circle, they separate back to their original places. The process repeats with the left hands, and then with both. After that, the couples come back together. The dance then dissolves into a normal two step slow dance.

            Natsu has a bit of a time keeping up with the rest of us, but he gets better quickly. Even though our hands don't touch, I can feel the heat radiating from his skin. When we finally come together for the last time, his right hand feels like it could burn through my dress. As it is, the warmth seeps from my waist and spreads throughout my body. There's a proper distance that has to be maintained during any dance, and though I've been trained in dance since I was a child, I find it increasingly hard to remember what the proper distance is. As the last note from the violin is being strung out, all of the couples take a small step back. The women curtsy, the men bow. Natsu's eyes never leave mine as we dip down and rise back up.

            "You're a very quick learner," I complement him as we make room for the next round of dancers. "It's easy to learn when you're properly motivated," he says to me. Natsu looks off into the crowd for a moment before turning back to me. "So who was that guy that you were talking to?"

            "Lord Markus? Oh. He's-he's my fi-fiancé." That sentence has to be the toughest one that I've ever had to say. "But he's twice your age," Natsu protests, almost too loudly. "Shh," I hiss, holding a finger in front on my mouth in the universal signal of "be quiet."

            "It's a marriage of convenience," I inform Natsu as I stalk away from the middle of the room. "Dad wanted to make a business deal or something and Lord Markus wanted a wife. My father traded me for whatever it was he wanted." On the edge of the room now I sit on one of the many couches lining the walls, motioning for Natsu to take a seat next to me. "And you're just going to go along with it?" Natsu asks after he sits. "You're not going to fight your father on this?"

            "I would," I tell him, "if I knew it was going to work. My father is selfish. Since Mom died he's only ever cared about money. I've thought about running away, but I don't know where I'd go, and I would miss Mom too much if I left. It was hard enough losing her, but separating myself from where we lived together would hurt too much. Though I'm leaving here next week no matter what." I look down at my hands twined together in my lap. Natsu leans toward me and takes one of my hands in his. I look up in shock. His face is serious, so different from his normal attitude. "Than this is the time to do it. You don't want to marry that Markus guy right?" I shake my head slowly, gaping at Natsu. "Sometime between now and when you have to marry him, that's the perfect time to go. And I can help you. I know a little bit about traveling."

            I smile up at Natsu. Tonight was supposed to be one of the worst nights of my life, and here's Natsu, bringing light into a dark space so naturally. "Are you sure you want to help me?" I ask him cautiously. "I'll just be a bother. I don't know the first thing about survival, or camping out in the wilderness."

            "Kinda expected that," he admits with a smile. "But don't worry, I'll take care of you."

            "Thank you," I say to Natsu. Those two words are heavy with my gratitude and admiration.

            The rest of the night I'm away from Natsu. I have to be. I can't seem to close to this stranger, it'll just cast suspicion on him. But throughout the entire night, anytime I look around, I can find him easily. Whether he's by himself, talking with someone, or even dancing, as soon as I spot him he looks up, like he can feel my eyes on him. And there are times during the night that I swear I can feel him looking at me.

                                                                          *******************************************

            After Lucy leaves, I lean against the back of the couch. I hadn't premeditated stealing her away from here, but it doesn't seem like I'll have a hard time sneaking her away. I almost burst out laughing as a thought hits me. In stories, the dragon always steals the princess from her castle. True, most don't go willingly, and even less are unaware that there even is a dragon. The stories seem to have forgotten that a few dragons can shift into a human form.

 


	11. Lord Markus

            The ball ends long after midnight. I fight a yawn as I say good-bye to the guests. "Thank you for coming," I call after a couple when I voice says behind me, "Could you show me to my room?" Turning around I see Lord Markus. "No problem," I answer with a smile. "Follow me." Waving to another set of leaving guests, I head in the direction of his room. My father had told me which room Lord Markus was going to stay in the day after he hit me with the news that I was engaged. His room is in the same wing as mine, but on the first floor instead of the second. Stopping outside of his room, I turn to him to bid him good night. "I'll see you tomorrow," I tell him.

            "Wait," he says. "You don't have to go just yet. Why don't you step into my room for a drink?"

            "No thank you," I answer. "I'm tired, so I really should be getting to my own room."

            "Just one drink," he insists.

            "No," I respond more forcefully. "Good night." I walk away from the door. Lord Markus grabs my arm as I pass him. "Don't be a tease," he says. "Come on in."

            "Wait. What are you doing?" I ask as he pulls me through the door, hysteria in my voice. "Taking what's mine," he responds eagerly. By now his face is twisted in a sick grin. No. Not now. Not before I get a chance of freedom. The cruelness of a crushed hope burns in my heart as the door shuts. I struggle futily against Lord Markus's grip. I'm about to give in when I remember my resolve from earlier, when I told myself that I'd decide what to do with my life. Up till now, everything's been mapped out for me, my education, my fiancé, and even the decision to run away. I have to do something that for myself now and stop looking to others.

            I quit struggling. Lord Markus, thinking he's won, pulls my close to him. Big mistake. As he runs his hands down my sides heading down to my waist, I step hard on his foot. He jerks away and clutches his foot in pain. While he's distracted I run for the door. White hot pain shoots from behind my ear. I'm on the floor before I really know what just happened. Lord Markus had thrown a small wooden box at my head. I put a hand to the spot where I was hit. It comes away red. Lord Markus is on his feet and is walking over towards me, angry now. He reaches down and grabs my arm, pulling me to my feet. Because of the blow to my head, the quick movement makes the room spin. "Nice try, harpy," he growls. He drags me to his bed, throwing me down on it. He takes off the his jacket, removing his hand to do so. Free, I kick him below the belt. Getting on my feet I also nail him in the gut with my elbow. That should keep him down for awhile. Now that Lord Markus is fully incapacitated, I make another attempt for the door. I yank open the door and slam it behind me. I'm about to start running down the hallway when I see Natsu at the end of it.

            "Natsu," I call happily.

            "Lucy?" He's probably wondering what I'm doing here. "Lucy!" he yells when he spots the blood. He races toward me, putting one hand on my arm when he comes close. The other hand he uses to push back my hair to see the injury. "What happened?"

            "Lord Markus..." I trail off, not wanting to repeat what just happened.

            "Did he do something to you?" Natsu asks, his voice murderous. "Did he touch you?"

            I shake my head, wincing from the pain. Now that the adrenaline is gone, my head is pounding. "No. Not like that. I didn't let him get that far."

            Natsu smiles. "I knew you were tough," he says. I smile back. "Now let's get you back to your room. We can take care of that wound once you're in bed." I nod and let him help me back.


	12. Patching Up

            I wince as the cloth is pressed against my head. I'm back in my room seated on my bed. Natsu's here as well, sitting in a chair next to it as he tends to my injury. "How'd this even happen?" he asks as he dips the cloth back in the bowl of water. "Markus threw a small box at my head," I answer. I swear Natsu _growls_ when I say that, though it's such a low sound that I could be hearing things. "That man's a monster," he says, putting the cloth back on the wound. I have no arguments.

            "Why were you even in that hallway?" I ask Natsu. He pauses in his task of cleaning my injury for half a second. "I was looking for you," he responds. His tone makes if obvious that he's hiding something. "But why there?" I insist. "There was no way you could have known where I was."

            Natsu looks torn, like he wants to tell me something but is not sure how I'd react. "If I tell you, promise not to freak out," he says.

           "Promise," I assure him.

           "I-I followed your scent," he admits.

            "Followed... my scent?" No human could do that. "How?"

            "I have a heightened sense of smell," he explains.

            "And hearing," I remember.

            "Yeah," he affirms with a nod of his head. "Most of my senses are heightened, seeing, hearing, scent, taste, not touch however."

            "That's odd. Why?" I ask curiously.

            "Why isn't my sense of touch heightened or why are most of my sense like that?"

            "The second one."

            "Well," he starts, "I'm not sure if you're going to believe me but... I'm a dragon."

            "Dragon? But you're a human," I say in confusion. "At least, you look like one."

            "Some dragons can take on human form," he explains.

            "Why only some?" I wonder. He grin dryly. "You're taking this extraordinarily well," he comments.

            "Just wait," I warn. "It'll hit me eventually."

            "To answer your question, I don't really know why some dragons can change form. I only know that the younger generation can do it."

            I touch the hand holding the cool cloth to my head, holding it gently. "Thank you for trusting me with this," I say. He grins. "No problem."

            I let him remove the cloth on my head. "Is that why you're so warm?" I ask without thinking. I flush, ducking my head forward slightly to hide it. "What?" he asks, looking at me curiously. He seems to not know why I reacted like that. "You're a lot warmer than a normal human," I explain. "Is the reason because you're a dragon?"

            "Hmm. Maybe," he answers.

            "Can you breath fire?" I ask, remembering the fireplace. "Of course," he replies proudly. I laugh lightly. "This is amazing," I comment. He looks at me curiously. "I never would have expected to see anything like this outside of books," I continue.

           "You're a bookworm?" he asks disbelievingly.

           "Yeah, I love to read. It's my favorite thing to do." He smirks.

            "Never would have expected that a princess would be a bookworm."

            "I'm _not_ a princess," I remind him. We both smile and laugh.

            Catching his breath, Natsu pushes aside my hair again. "Are you sure you don't want anyone to take a look at that?"

            "I'm sure. We don't have a physician here so no one could do much more than just cleaning it out and dressing it, and then I'd have to explain what happened."

            "But that'd be a good thing," Natsu protests. "Your father would-"

            "My father," I interrupt, "wouldn't care."

            The tense moment hangs while Natsu disposes of the bowl of water and the cloth and grabs some bandages. "I'm sorry," we say at the same time. He cracks another smile. "I know what I'm apologizing for, why are you?" he asks. "For snapping like that," I answer. "Why were you?"

            "For bringing your father up," he answers. Natsu gestures with the bandages, asking if he should put them on. I nod and he proceeds to apply them. "Could you stay in here tonight?" I ask Natsu after a moment. "Huh?" he asks.

            "I got hit on the head," I explain. "I want to make sure I didn't get a concussion." _And I want someone here if Lord Markus comes for me._

            "Alright," he agrees.

            "Thank you."


	13. That Night

            I sit on the edge of the bed, watching Lucy sleep. In just under a week this girl had learned my deepest secret, I had felt that she'd keep it, that she wouldn't freak out. What is it about her that makes me trust her that easily? She shifts in her sleep, rolling over, putting her back to me. Seeing her flinch when her wound hits the pillow makes me furious all over again.

            I had seen her leave the room with him that night. I had to leave and sneak back into the manor. She should have been in her room by then, so when she still hadn't shown up I was worried. I went back to the ballroom, hiding from the servants who were cleaning up. Once I had her scent, I followed it back to his room. The smell of blood met my nose around the same time I first saw her in the corridor. I wanted to tear that dastard to shreds but Lucy needed someone to take care of her.

            "I can't believe you beat up a guy by yourself," I say to her sleeping form.


	14. Escape

            I wake up the next morning to a loud, repetitive noise. At first I can't figure out what it is. I roll over to get a better look at the room, maybe spot the source of the noise. What I see is Natsu sitting on the bed, leaning against one of the bed posts. He must off fallen asleep sometime during the night. And he's the source of the noise. His snores are super loud. "Wake! Up!" I yell at him, hitting him lightly with a pillow.

            "Huh? What?" He snaps awake. "Oh." He looks around, confused. "Did I fall asleep."

            "You did," I tell him. "Your snoring woke me up."

            "Sorry," he says with a grin. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, let alone wake you."

            I look over towards the window to try to gauge the time. It looks like the sun just rose. I touch the bandage covering my head injury. "We'll have to take this off before I can leave this room," I tell Natsu.

            "Is that a good idea?" he asks.

            "Probably not," I answer. "But if I leave it on, I'll have to explain how I got it."

            "What about leaving?" Natsu questions. "You said last night that you were going to run away. Now's the perfect time. You don't have to see that Lord Marquee again." I grin when Natsu mispronounces his name. "You're right," I tell him. "Let me get changed and then I'll be ready to go." I get out of bed, wobbling slightly. I wave off Natsu's offer to help and walk behind the screen. Suddenly I wish that I had even one pair of pants instead of all these dresses and skirts. I pick out the most comfortably fitting one I can find. That's when I run into a problem. "Eh, Natsu," I start awkwardly.

            "What is it?" he asks from the other side of the screen. "Ah, I need some help," I tell him.

            "Alright," he answers slowly. My face is tomato red when he rounds the screen.

            "What do you need help with?" he wonders. "The corset," I explain. The reason for my embarrassment. It's impossible to lace up a corset by yourself, either that or darn near impossible, so I'm in nothing but a shift with a loose corset. It doesn't seem to register with Natsu that he's seeing me in what amounts to my underwear.

            "What about it?" he asks.

            "I need help lacing it up," I admit.

            "Oh, why didn't you just say so?" he complains. I turn around and stare at the floor while he laces it. "Why do girls wear these things?" he wonders as he works. "Ah, eh, I'd rather not answer that," I tell him.

            "Hmm?" I feel the familiar restriction as he continues. He laces the corset lightly, but it's enough to do its job. As he works, his hands leave a warm trail up my back. "Done," he says after what feels like an eternity. I shoo him out from behind the screen, thanking him for helping me, and get dressed. When I finish I step out from behind the screen and take on last look around the room that had been my sanctuary since I was a little girl. "Ready?" Natsu asks gently. "Ready," I affirm.

                                           *******************************************

            Getting out of the house was easy. All of the servants were either sleeping or still cleaning up from last night. Markus and Dad definitely were sleeping. I lead Natsu out the back door and through the gardens to the place where we first met. "From here you take the lead," I tell him. I stop to let him in front of me, taking on last look at my home before catching up to Natsu. He must have noticed me out of the corner of his eye since he looks over at me and smiles broadly.

            Walking through the forest is harder than I thought, and even though I put on my most comfortable shoes, my feet soon start to hurt. I soldier on for as long as I can, but Natsu seems to have noticed that I'm practically of the verge of collapsing because he says, "Let's rest here a moment." I fall down onto a flat-topped boulder, glad for the break. "Sorry," I apologize. "You're probably used to travelling like this." He sits down on a fallen tree trunk. "It's not a problem," he assures me. "And you'll get used to it too, assuming you stay with me long enough to." He looks over at me like he just asked a question. Was he asking how long I planned to travel with him. I never really thought about that. It'd be rude just to leave him once we reached a town, and I wouldn't want to anyway. But we wouldn't stay together always, would we? "You'll be stuck with me for awhile yet," I answer him with a grin. He smiles back. Guess he is happy with my answer.

            The next few hours are a monotonous blur of greens and browns and foot and back pain. Around noon my stomach starts to growl. "You got anything to eat?" I ask him, hugging my stomach. "No," he replies disappointingly. "But I might be able to find you something." I'm about to ask how before I remember, he must have had to fend for himself for awhile, so finding food can't be that hard for him, and he's a dragon on top of that.

            Natsu stops and sniffs the air. He freezes, his face serious. "What is it Natsu?" I ask quietly.

            "Not good," he answers. "I think your father's looking for you."

            "What? How can you tell?"

            "I smell horses, lots of them, and men in armor. I think your father thinks you were kidnapped. I doubt he'd send out soldiers if he thought you just ran away," Natsu answers. I wouldn't be too sure, but I don't want to correct him.

            We look at each other. My mind races as I try to come up with an idea. Before I can Natsu says, "Stand back." He needn't have warned me. As his body is enveloped in flames I step back, surprised and scared. "Wha-what's going on Natsu?" I ask, half panicked. When the flames finally die down, I have my answer. Standing before me is a figure about a foot-and-a-half taller than a horse at the shoulder and much longer with wings. "You really are a dragon," I say in disbelief. I hadn't thought he was lying before, but hearing about it and seeing proof with your very own eyes are two greatly different things. Stunned as I am, I don't realize that Natsu's trying to tell me something right away. He's gesturing to his back with his head. "You... want me to get on?" I ask. He nods his head, crouching down to help me get on. "Alright," I say doubtfully.

            I put my left foot on his proffered foreleg and jump up on his back, swinging my leg over like I was mounting a horse. Once I'm secure, I grab onto a neck spike and call, "I'm ready." Satisfied that I won't fall off, Natsu rises to his feet and springs into the air. I shriek at the sudden jerk and huddle close to his neck. I don't relax my posture nor do I open my eyes until we've leveled out. Slowly, I ease my way back into a natural sitting position and crack open my eyes. "Wow," I gasp in amazement at the view. Though I said it under my breath, and there's a wind to steal the words from my mouth, I guess Natsu heard me as he looks back with an expression that says, "See? Not so bad." I giggle and he grins back at me. Though the face is scaly, the smile is the same.

            We fly like that for another hour or so before setting down in a large valley. On either side are large hills that look like heck to climb and even further off I see the mountain range that extends north to my house. The valley is big enough across that, though it's deep, the ground is fairly level. Running down the center of the valley is a river heading south.

            Once we touchdown I slide off of Natsu's back. When he's sure I'm clear of the flames, he shifts back to his human form. "That was amazing Natsu," I tell him. "You told me you were a dragon, but I guess a part of my mind didn't believe it until I saw it."

            With a smile he says, "And I worried about telling you for nothing." I smile back.

            "Do you think we're safe from the soldiers?" I ask him finally. "We should be. I can fly pretty far, even at the speed I was going. It would take them several days to cover the ground I did just now," he answers me. My stomach grumbles before either of us can say anymore. "That's right," Natsu remembers. "I said I was going to get you something to eat."

            "I don't know what you'd find here," I comment, looking around. "There's nothing for an animal to hide behind and no plants to get food from."

            "Ah, but there is a river," he points out. "Fish?" I ask. I hadn't thought about it. "That's sound alright, though I guess anything would after I skipped breakfast."

            "You sure are a pampered princess," Natsu comments as he settles down next to the water. "Skip one meal and suddenly you're starving."

            "Hey!" I protest. By now he's concentrating on the river and either doesn't hear me or is ignoring me. Annoyed, I huff and turn my back to him, crossing my arms and closing my eyes. After a moment of silence, I open an eye and turn my head to watch him out of curiosity. _How the heck is he going to catch a fish without a rod or a net?_ My question is answered moments later. Natsu's hand darts into the water, sending up a spray of drops. I don't really see what happens, all I know is that there's suddenly a trout flopping about on land. "Could you gather some fire wood?" Natsu asks.

            "What for?" I wonder. "Can't you cook these yourself?"

            "Yeah, but we're probably going to spend the night here," he explains. "I thought you'd like a fire going at the very least, especially since nights are cold. That and to cook food just right, I have to be careful about how much fire I use, the temperature, and how long I cook it. It's just a lot easier to use a camp fire."

            "That makes sense," I say. While Natsu continues to fish, I walk upriver to a small bunch of bushes. As I gather some small twigs for tinder, a rabbit flashes out of her hole. "Aaahh!" I shriek, falling over backwards and scattering kindling. "What? What is it?!" Natsu calls from downriver. I look back to see that he's standing up and looking like he's about to charge something. "Nothing," I call back. "Just a rabbit." Natsu laughs at my startle. I take a moment to catch my breath before getting back up. Brushing off my skirt I turn back to glare at him. This just makes Natsu laugh harder. It's not long before I smile back at him and start laughing as well.

            When I finish gathering kindling I walk back to where Natsu is. Beside him is a medium sized pile of fish. "Do you really think we can eat all that?" I ask curiously. "You may not," he answers, "but I could easily eat all that."

            "Someone's a bottomless pit," I tease.

            As he continues to fish I start to set up the fire. Unfortunately, the only experience I've ever had with this is reading about it so I fail miserably at getting that pyramid thing that I've heard about. Eventually I just lay the twigs onto of some dry leaves. It's not fancy, but it should work. "We don't have any big pieces of wood though," I worry aloud. "Don't worry," Natsu says. "Fish cook quick." I bite my lip, not reassured.

            I lay back on the grass, shifting as the cool blades tickle my skin. Taking a deep breath, I take in the silence, the openness of the valley, the almost pure aloneness. "Natsu?" I ask after a moment. "What?" he wonders. I pause a moment before talking. "Why are you sticking your neck out for me like this?" I question finally. "You hardly know me, and now you're taking care of me. I'm grateful for it, but I don't get why you're doing this."

            Natsu lights the fire before answering, making sure that it will stay lit without assistance. "I told you that I lost my father," he says. I nod my head. "While I didn't lose him the same way that you lost your mother, we still share that same experience, the pain of losing a loved one. I at least could take care of myself after my father left. You had to stay in a place you didn't want to be anymore, I didn't. You had to deal with your father refusing to look at or even talk to you, I didn't."

            "So you felt sorry for me?" I ask, my voice hardening.

            "No," he replies with a shake of his head. "I wanted to help you because I very well know that our positions could have been switched. You could have been the one free to travel and look for your mother. I could have been stuck at that manor with my future planned for me by a parent that no longer seemed to love me. If I was in your place, I'd want someone to save me, so I saved you." Natsu turns to look at me after he says that, his normally cheerful eyes burning with an intense fire. It's strange seeing Natsu this serious. I sit up to meet his eyes more easily. The look is in his eyes for a few more seconds before he grins. I smile back, glad to know why I'm now free. "Thank you Natsu," I say under my breath.


	15. Fireside Conversation

            The fire lasted just long enough for the fish to cook. I gaze at the burnt sticks worriedly. It's going to be cold tonight and I don't have anything that I can throw over myself. _I should of brought a blanket,_ I berate myself. Sighing I think, _Too late to worry about that now._ The sun sinks below the sky, ending my first day away from home, as a thought crosses my mind. "Hey Natsu?" I call across the dead fire, "Where are we going? Do you have any idea?"

            He shakes his head. "I was following a lead earlier about a dragon spotted in a nearby town but I have no idea where the town is."

            "You were following a lead without knowing the town's location?" I ask, stifling a laugh. "What's it's name?" He thinks about it for a moment. "You _do_ know it's name at least, right?" I wonder.

            "I think it's called Shigure, I think," he finally answers.

            "Shigure?" I ask.

            "Yeah. Do you know it?"

            "Hmm." The name sounds familiar but I can't place it. _Shigure, Shigure, Shigure..._ "Oh, I remember now," I say suddenly. "It's a town south of here. That's where my mother lived before she married my father."

            "Really," Natsu asks. I nod in answer. It's odd how much our two missing parents seem to overlap.

            "Wait," I say suddenly. "You're a dragon." He nods, looking confused. "So your father's a dragon." Natsu nods again. "Can he shift too?"

            "... No," Natsu answers. "I don't think he can."

            "Than what's he doing in a town? ... And why can you?"

            He shrugs. "I guess I'll find out when I find my father," he answers simply, a smile on his face.

            I laugh, his flippant attitude infections. "Yeah, I guess so."

                                                                 *******************************************

            The sun sets quickly on my first day out of the manor. With the fire out and the warmth of the sun gone, I'm looking forward to a cold night. I clear the ground of pebbles and twigs before settling down on the ground. Chilled, I curl up to help conserve body heat. I'm almost asleep when I feel warmth against my back. Startled, I turn my head to see Natsu sleeping behind me, facing away. Grateful, I sink into his warmth and quickly fall into a surprisingly deep sleep.

                                                                *******************************************

            I've slept outside before and I don't have much of a problem with cold, so it's rather easy for me to get comfortable. However, before I can even think about sleeping, I see Lucy shivering in the cold. I can't do anything about the uncomfortable ground, but I can do something about the chill at the very least. I glance around, knowing what I'll have to do but not knowing how Lucy will react when she wakes. Sighing, I move over to lay down behind her, my back against hers to help keep her warm.

            She stirs behind me. I tense, worried that she'll freak. Behind my back, she turns to look at me. I don't turn myself so I can't see her face, but she settles back down quickly and eases against me. I sigh in relief and go to sleep.


	16. Pursued

            I wake before her the next morning. Something woke me, though I can't guess what. I sit up and look around, searching for the source of whatever it was. The sun is just rising to the east, though that's never woken me before, and the air still has a slight chill in it. Lucy, in response to me moving, rolls over and draws her legs closer to her torso, not quite curled up. Not being able to locate whatever it was that woke me, I look down at Lucy. I've never really had to chance to study her, and I doubt she'd let me look at her for long like this if she was awake.

            Her blonde hair still looks perfect and soft even after sleeping on the ground, though now it's adorably messed up with a few small twigs. Her face is delicate, a result of being raised in a golden cage. Underneath her softness though, I can still see her strength, even as she sleeps. Smiling at her, I climb to my feet to get something to eat before she wakes up.

            She awakens just as the food finishes cooking. I had found some rabbits nearby and a good amount of wood to cook with. If she remembers last night, Lucy doesn't bring it up. It's not like much happened anyway, though I would think that someone raised as she has would be really opposed to anything like that. She did run away from that life, so maybe I shouldn't be expecting a normal noblewoman's response to events.

            "Hungry?" I ask as she blinks and looks around blurry-eyed. I think she's confused, not used to not waking in her bed. Her eyes widen when they see me and I can see remembrance click in her head.

            "Yeah," she answers. "Thanks." She takes a wooden spit with pieces of rabbit meat on it and nibbles on the cooked food. As she eats, she looks at the fire with a bit of defeated look on her face. I want to ask her what's wrong, but just than the wind changes. On the wind, I hear the noise that woke me up earlier, just much louder, much closer.

            "Lucy," I warn.

            "Hmm?" she asks through a mouthful of rabbit.

            "We've got to go. Now," I tell her. She swallows. "What is it?" she asks under her breath. I shake my head. I'll explain it to her on the way. I shoot to my feet and stamp out the fire. Grabbing Lucy's hand, I take off running south.

                                                      *******************************************

            When I wake that morning, Natsu is already awake and there's food cooking. That's odd. I can't smell the kitchen from my room. "Hungry?" Natsu asks before I can fully wake up. Startled, I glance around. I'm in a large valley. Oh yeah, I ran away yesterday. Laying my eyes on Natsu, I remember last night. Nothing had happened, but I slept beside a man for the first time in my life. It takes a great effort not to let my embarrassment show.

            "Yeah," I answer after a moment. "Thanks." There are pieces of rabbit meat speared all around the fire. I take one of the spits and nibble on the rabbit meat. I've never had rabbit. It's tough, but not bad. While I eat I gaze into the fire, unable to look at Natsu. Yesterday I could hardly find enough wood to cook our food, but Natsu manages to find enough to make a good sized fire. I feel a little useless.

            "Lucy," he warns suddenly.

            "Hmm?" I ask through a mouthful of rabbit.

            "We've got to go. Now," he says to me. I swallow. "What is it?" I ask under my breath, sensing the danger in his tone. He shakes his head. Shooting to his feet he stamps out the fire and, grabbing my head, takes off running south. I'm sore from yesterday. That plus the fact I've had very little to eat this morning makes running difficult. I stumble. Natsu catches me before I can hit the ground.

            "Shoot," I hear him growl. Looking at his face, I see his eyes darting back and forth, scanning the surroundings quickly. Whatever we're running from must be close, because he doesn't just change into a dragon like he did last time. Finally, he must have decided that it's worth the risk. Taking a step back, a bright flash of red and gold envelop Natsu as he changes. I don't have time to marvel at his dragon form again as, while Natsu is changing forms, I catch sight of our pursuers. It's the soldiers again. How did they even catch up with us so fast?

            Quickly, I climb onto Natsu's scaly back. I'm barely seated when he takes off. I squeal as the sudden motion almost unseats me. Wrapping my arms around a neck spike, I hold on tightly as he quickly gains altitude. He goes so high that we almost touch the clouds. Though I want to reach out and actually touch them, I don't let go of Natsu until a good while after his flight's leveled out. Straightening out, I do just that. At first I just have one hand in the clouds, but not too long after, I throw my other hand up into the puffy haze. He looks back at me, probably having felt my weight shift, and raises an eye ridge, probably wondering how I can be so light-hearted while running from soldiers. I shrug and grin, a laugh escaping me. He rolls his eye good-humoredly and turns his attention back to the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the updates are coming so far apart. End of school is hectic with finals, AP tests, and college to think of.


	17. Shigure

            The rest of the way to Shigure is about the same. I try to help Natsu, he ends up doing a better job at than me, and then we run from soldiers. I've been getting better at sometimes, walking long distances for one. I can also start fires now, and collect the fire wood, so I'm not a complete dead weight. The soldiers have also been showing up less and less. On my suggestion, we took a longer path to Shigure to help shake them off our tail. It seems to be working, though we've had to take more detours than I'd like. We've been on the road for two weeks. The trip from my home to Shigure only takes about five days on horseback. Finally, I decide that we should chance going into town. The soldiers have no idea where we're going, nor what we are looking for, so it shouldn't hurt us too badly to go there.

            The town is small, but lively. The marketplace is busy, full of life. "First piece of business," I say as I watch the activity, "finding new clothes." Natsu doesn't look very excited about that.

            "What's wrong with what you've got on?" he asks.

            I turn to glare at him. "I've been wearing it for _two weeks_ ," I inform him angrily. "And not only is it dirty, it's also in tatters." Riding on the back of a dragon does a number on cloth, so it seems. "I need to get new shoes as well. These are not cut out for all this walking."

            "Fine. Fine," he says, just trying to get me to quiet down now. "But what are you going to do to pay for them? I don't remember you bringing any cash."

            "Oh... Right." I sigh, disappointed. "I guess getting something new to wear will have to wait."

            "Hey don't worry about it," Natsu hurries to assure me, seeing how disappointed I am. "The dress you're wearing right now is fine, and you're shoes don't have to be good for walking. You can go barefoot, or I could carry you."

            I know he's trying to comfort me, but that still doesn't mean the dress isn't just being held together. And the thought of going barefoot is... less than ideal. Though being carried by Natsu doesn't sound too bad. _No. Stop._ I shake my head to clear my thoughts. Looking up at Natsu, meeting his eyes, I smile. "Thanks," I tell him.

            He grins back. "No problem."

            "So, do we look around?" I ask him. "Question people? How do you normally follow leads."

            "A little both," Natsu answers. "I hang around the town for awhile. Generally I'll get another lead."

            "And if you don't?" I wonder.

            "I move to another town," he answers simply.

            I shake my head, both in amazement and pity. He's been chasing his father for years, probably using this same system, and he's never given up. It's shows dedication, but he may just be on a wild goose chase.

            "For now, let's focus on finding a place to stay the night," I suggest. I don't want to spend another night sleeping on the ground.

            "But we don't have any money," Natsu protests.

            "Than we can trade for our stay. Do some chores, or find a nice family to take us in until we leave," I propose.

            Natsu raises a brow but eventually agrees with a nod and a shrug. He heads off down the main street, surveying the buildings on both sides to find an inn. Following him, I come along side. "So, where'd you stay before? And how did you buy food and clothing?" I ask him curiously.

            "I would do odd jobs for money," he answers. "And I'd stay outside of town, camping like I normally do."

            "So I'm guessing sleeping in a bed is a rare experience for you," I speculate. I'm not sure if I should feel bad for him or not. Normally I would, but Natsu seems so unbothered by that.

            He shrugs. "Bed, ground, I can sleep on both."

            I grin and shake my head.


	18. Peter and Emma

            An inn on the edge of town run by a young couple lets the two of us stay a few nights as long as we clean the kitchen before we go to bed. The wife shows me where the clean supplies are while the husband tries to teach Natsu how to clean the dishes. It's not going well over there...

            "So, is he your husband?" the wife asks.

            "Huh?" I look back at Natsu, stifling a laugh at his growing frustration. I blush when I realize what she meant. I met her eyes. "No, no," I hurry to correct. "He's a friend of mine. We're just traveling together." She looks me over.

            "You seem like a high class woman," she comments. "Why are you alone, unescorted, with a man?"

            "I've-I've known Natsu since I was a child," I lie, turning red at the observation. "My f-father trusts him with me."

            "And now you're asking for a free room. Why can't you afford one?" the wife wonders.

            "Robbers," I make up. "We were robbed on the way here. They took all of our money."

            "That's terrible," she says sympathetically. "Well, that explains the dress."

            I spread out my hands over the torn skirt as if to cover the damage. "Yeah."

            The wife smiles. "Well, we'll just have to do something about that, won't we?"

            I grin back. "Thank you," I tell her.

            She takes my arm and leads me out of the kitchen as Natsu starts to yell at the plates in annoyance. The wife and I glance at each other and grin, holding back laughter. "My name is Emma," she informs me as we head up the stairs.

            At the top of the stairs is a long hallway, doors spaced evenly on both sides. "The room Peter and I share is this very first one," Emma says, pointing at the door on the left. "You can borrow one of my dresses until you can get a new one."

            Emma and I spend the next hour trying out different dresses on me. It's almost like having an older sister. The only feminine influence I had after my mother died was the female servants. This is very different. We finally settle on a blue dress with white on the bodice. Emma takes my hands and smiles at me. "You are a rare kind of beauty," she tells me out of nowhere. I blink in surprise. Her smiles widens. "That's a lucky man out there."

            "I told you," I say quickly, "he's just a friend. There's nothing between us."

            She nods, though it doesn't look like she believes me. "Hm mh. I've seen the way the two of you look at each other."

            I'm about to say something when I hear a crash and Peter yelling. Sighing, I raise my hand to my forehead in exasperation. "What did he do?" I groan.


	19. Night at the Inn

            The couple is nice enough to give us two rooms, though I was sure we were going to be stuck with one. I take off my borrowed dress before falling onto the bed. It's nothing near the comfort of the one I slept in back home, but it's heaven after sleeping on the ground for two weeks straight. I can't get to sleep though. I'm dead tired from travelling and then helping clean, but I can't settle. Why can't I?

            I finally settle into a light, broken sleep. It's not until I wake up an hour or so later that I realize what the problem is. I can't hear Natsu. I've grown so used to hearing his snores as I go to sleep that, now that we're separated, I can't stand the silence. Sitting up on the bed, I pull my legs up to my chest as I try to decide what it is that I want to do. While I'm sure I can get back to sleep on my own, I don't know how long it'll be until I do, nor do I know the quality of sleep that I'll get. On the other hand, I don't want to go to Natsu's room and admit that I need him to sleep now.

            Before I can think too long on this, I hear a knock on the door. I lift my head off my knees. "Who is it?" I call curiously.

            "Natsu," the voice comes, soft and muffled through the door. He seems... worried.

            "Come in," I tell him. Swinging my legs off of the bed, I get to my feet as Natsu opens the door. It's then that I realize that I'm still in nothing but a shift. I blush, but I don't think he notices, both that I'm undressed and that I'm embarrassed. "What is it?" I ask as he shuts the door behind him.

            "I didn't sound like you were getting any sleep," he answers. "Is everything okay."

            I nod, turning redder. Of course he heard all of the tossing and turning I must have been doing during the small amount of sleep I've gotten. "I'm alright," I assure him. "I'm just not-not used to the silence."

            "Silence?" he asks.

            "You snore," I answer, almost too quiet to hear. Natsu has good ears, however, so he probably heard me.

            "What does that have to do with anything?" he wonders, a look of confusion on his face. Comprehension shows right after. "Oh. Do you want to me sleep in here? I can take the floor," Natsu offers.

            "No," I refuse quickly. Gentler, "No thanks." I smile to show my gratitude. "We have two rooms. We should use them."

            "Than I can just make a hole in the wall so you can hear," he decides.

            "No!" I shout. "Stop!"

                        *******************************************

            "Geez," I groan after Lucy slams the door behind me. "I was just trying to help. What's up with her?" Unanswered by the empty hallway, I make my way to my own room, thoroughly confused by tonight's events.

*******************************************

The next morning, I meet up with Emma in the kitchen as she is cooking breakfast. From what I heard in the hallway, Natsu must be still asleep. "I heard a lot of noise from you two last night," Emma comments as I walk in.

"Oh. Yeah, sorry about that," I say, hoping she'll leave it at that.

Of course, she doesn't. "What was your friend doing in your room so late at night?" she asks. Though her back is turned to me, I swear I can hear her smiling.

"Nothing," I answer. "Natsu was worried about me but I assured him that I'm alright."

"And the yelling?" she presses.

I sigh. "Natsu is... not very smart. He offered a few different ways to help me sleep better, but they weren't well thought through."

Emma laughs. "He means well," Emma says. "Though he does seems a few apples short of a pie."

Grinning, I walk up the wood stove to check out what's cooking there. Emma, at the counter right next to it, looks up from her preparations. "Careful," she warns. "If it's boiling, you might get popped."

Her warning in mind, I stay a good distance away from the pot, though I lean in close enough to look in. It's some sort of soup, though I couldn't say what. All I can tell is that it smells good.

As I am straightening back up, Peter comes in through the back door. I nod a hello. He responds with a nod of his own. Greetings finished, he walks over to Emma, puts an arm around her waist, and kisses her lightly on her forehead. It's so casually sweet that I have to look away.

My attention focused elsewhere, I jump when Peter clears his throat to draw my attention. "So where's that boy?" he asks me.

"I think he's still sleeping," I answer.

"Can you go wake him up?" Peter requests. I nod. Leaving the kitchen, I head for the stairs. At the top of the stairs I hear Natsu's snores. Though I don't think that he'll hear it, I knock on the door before entering. He's sprawled out on the bed, mouth gaping open as he snore.

"Geez, Natsu," I say quietly, a small smile on my face. I walk over to the side of the bed. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I shake Natsu gently. "Wake up," I sing-song softly. He doesn't wake up. Shaking him harder, I tell him in a firmer voice, "Wake. Up." Still no response. Pressing my lips together in a firm line, I grab his arm and pull him out of the bed. "Get! Up!" This finally elicits a response.

"What was that for, Lucy?" he snaps irritably from the floor.

"Peter was asking for you," I inform him, grinning in victory.

Grumbling, Natsu climbs to his feet. He stretches out. When he's done he turns to me and says, "Alright. Let's go." Nodding, I take the lead back to the kitchen. Emma is done cooking by the time we get there and some early patrons are making their way into the dining area. Behind us, other guests are trudging groggily down the stairs.

"Got him," I announce as we enter the kitchen.

"Good," Peter says. "I need help out back."

"Can I have breakfast first?" Natsu groans. I elbow him. Natsu glares down at me. Emma seems to notice are quiet argument, though Peter just says, "Of course. Can't have ya dying of hunger out there."


	20. Leaving Shigure

That evening, after a day of the two of us working to pay for our room and food, Natsu and I walk around town, fishing around for dragon sightings. The streets are still busy, though the sun went down about an hour ago. Windows and market stalls are lighted by the flickering glow of fires and candles. The sight is lovely, but I can' t enjoy it.

"Natsu," I groan reluctantly. I really don't want to bother him about this but, "I can't walk anymore."

He looks back in concern. "Why? Are you okay?"

I wave away his hands, which he reached out to help support me. "I'm fine," I reassure him. "I was just on my feet all day, and I cannot feel my legs. Nor am I sure how long my back can hold me up."

He looks slightly annoyed. "You can't walk because you've been standing all day?" he asks in disbelief. "What kind of excuse is that? I can walk for three days straight without needing to rest."

"Don't hold humans to dragon standards," I tell him dryly.

The two of us make our way to a bench situated near a park not too far from where we'd been standing. The park is also lit up with children running in and out of the light. I sit, and Natsu stands off to the side, still looking around, trying to overhear any good information or see if there's anyone who looks like they may have some news. We stay like this in silence for a few minutes before Natsu finally breaks the silence.

"How're you holding up?" he asks me.

"What?" I wonder.

"You know, being away from home for the first time ever," he clarifies. "It's been a few weeks since you left. Do you miss it? Do you miss your father or any of the servants?"

I consider his question before answering. "Not really. When we first left, I was worried about missing Mom more, or forgetting about her since I wouldn't be around familiar surroundings anymore. Being away from home actually helps. There, I was lonely, so all I could do is miss Mom. Now I have you, and even when you're not here, I don't feel lonely anymore. And as for my father or the servants, I wasn't really close to any of them."

Natsu grins. "That's good than. And how are your memories of your mother?"

I smile back. "Clear as ever."

*******************************************

We don't find anything out that night. It's like this for a week before we hear anything of interest, but it's not regarding dragons.

"Did you hear about the reward some rich guy is offering for the return of his daughter?" I hear a man ask his buddy as I serve a nearby table. I start, almost knocking over a drink before regaining composure. As I continue working, I keep an ear on the table.

"What happen?" the man's friend asks. "Did little miss princess get fed up with her pampered life?" He snickers meanly.

"I heard that she was stolen, kidnappednot long before she was supposed to be married off," the first one corrects.

"How much you wanna bet it was a secret lover of hers who took her?" the friend queries.

"Not my place to figure out what happened, nor do I much care. The money is good and I doubt the girly would put up much of a fight if found," the man states.

The two continue on with their discussion. I listen just long enough to find out if there's a description of me out. All the first man knows is that I have blonde hair.

I tell Emma that I'm not feeling too well and head upstairs. I'd like to look for Natsu, but I don't know if I can sneak past Emma, and I really don't want to go back out on the floor. Not now that I know people will be looking for me. Knocking interrupts my worrying.

"Who is it?" I call.

"It's me," Natsu answers. "Emma says you were sick."

I get up from the bed and open the door for him. "Not quite," I tell him.

He looks at me, confused.

"Come on it," I say. "I'll explain."

Natsu steps into my room and sits in a chair as I go back to the bed. I perch on the edge, biting my lip before starting. 

"My father has put out a reward for finding me," I explain. "I heard two guys talking about it earlier today."

Natsu responds, "So should we get out of town? Try another, farther away?"

I shake my head. "I don't know. I don't know how far he's spread word of the reward. And I don't want to impose on you more than I already am."

Natsu meets my eyes, holding my gaze with his stern look. "I decided to take you with me," he reminds me. "Any imposition that comes from that is my own problem. You can stay with me for as long as you want, and I'll protect you." His eyes lighten as he grins. "That's what dragons do, isn't it? Steal princesses and guard them?"

I can't help but laugh a little. "Yeah," I concede.

*******************************************

"Do you really have to go?" Emma asks. "It was nice having some help here."

"I'm sorry," I apologize. "Thanks for putting up with the two of us."

Emma smiles. "It was no problem."

Bidding good-bye to Peter, Natsu and I make our way out of the inn, moving quickly for the edge of town. After last night's conversation, we decided to leave early in the morning, while most of the crowds would still be at home. Because of this, it's easy to move through the streets, but it's eerily quiet. Maybe it's the silence, but leaving feels wrong. I honestly think I'll miss this place more than my own home. I suppose Natsu notices how I feel, because he looks back and takes my hand.

"Let's go," he says, leading me out of town.

*******************************************

She covers it well, but I can tell that Lucy is wigged out by the fact that her dad put out what amounts to a wanted poster for her. Not only that, but she seemed to have been growing used to the town and inn. Now her world is shaken once again.

Squeezing her hand, I try to will my strength into her. She responds in kind and I can feel her gratitude.

The closest town is about a day's trip east, but there's another one about a week's walk to the west that would probably be safer. I head west.


	21. On the Road Again

            Though I didn't point it out to Natsu, he held onto my hand for another hour, and I think he would have continue doing so if he didn't need both of his hands to climb over a chest high ledge. I don't think he meant anything by it, but I let it slide, as it reminded me of when I would walk in the gardens with my mother and she'd hold my hand as she guided me around.

            That night, as the fire crackles cheerfully against the dark sky, I ask Natsu, "So where are we going this time?"

            "Yugao," Natsu answers. "It'll be a bit of a trip, but nowhere near the time it took to get to Shigure."

            "Good," I crow happily.

            Natsu smirks and looks my way, amusement showing on his face. He holds his gaze for a little longer than I expected, and his expression changes. I can't explain the look his gives me, but it sends a rush of heat to my face. This seems to amuse him again, and he turns and looks away.

            I don't dwell on the behavior for too long, as I'm soon fighting a large yawn.

            "You should probably get to sleep," Natsu points out. I don't argue. Instead, I lay down on the grass, already missing the bed at the inn.

                                                               *******************************************

            I hadn't meant to stare but, in the flickering fire light, I finally noticed the golden color of her hair, and the amber glow of her eyes reflecting the fire. Now, as she lay sleeping beside me, I have to reign in my urge to reach out and touch her or her hair.

            _What's up with me?_ I wonder as I watch her breathe. I've never felt like this around other people. Why do I feel so protective of her? Why do I feel like I could just watch her for hours and be happy?

            Questions unanswered, I lay down to go to sleep.

                                                                  *******************************************

            "So tell me about your mother," Natsu starts, breaking the silence that had settled over us as we walked.

            "What do you want to know?" I wonder.

            He shrugs. "Anything."

            I think for a second. "She looked like me, or I look like her. That's what I've been told, anyway."

            Natsu glances back at me, I guess trying to imagine what my mom would look like.

            "She liked to read," I continue. "She'd read me stories every night before I feel asleep. Dad repurposed a whole room so that she could have a library. After she died, I was the only one who ever really used it." I go quiet for a minute. Picking back up, I say, "And she really liked keys. That's how my parents met. Dad lost a key and Mom, thinking it looked interesting, picked it up. Eventually that key brought them together."

            Natsu smiles as I prattle on.

            "What?" I ask when I finally notice.

            He shakes his head. "Nothing." Natsu goes back to focusing on the trail ahead.

            The rest of the day we talk about missing parents. While I'm all for the topic, as it's been awhile since I've been able to talk about Mom in more than just the passing, Natsu seems to be a little uneasy. He asks questions, but he doesn't try to probe too deep. He seems interested in the subject, but I think he's trying to be careful, in case he brings up bad memories. Seeing his discomfort, I try to change the subject.

            "Hey," I begin. "Why are you travelling between towns as a human? Flying would be faster, and your dragon form is your natural form, is it not?"

            Natsu stops and looks back. "I can't talk to you when I'm a dragon," he answers. "And besides, I used to travel like that, but then news went around about me and, not only did that make it harder to track down Igneel, people also started trying to hunt me, so it's just easier to stay a human unless I need to fly or am in a place where it's not likely that people would see me."

            "Is it strange?" I wonder. "Only rarely being in your original form?"

            He shrugs. "I've gotten used to it. I guess it was weird at first, not being able to fly or breath fire, walking on two legs instead of four, being much smaller, but it's been pretty normal for me for years now."

            We travel in silence for a few moments when a grin breaks out on Natsu's face. "You hear that?" he asks.

            I shake my head. "Hear what?" I wonder.

            Instead of answering, Natsu grabs my wrist and pulls me along toward the source of the noise. After a short while, I can hear it as well. "Water?" I ask.

            "A lake," he answers.

            I don't understand his excitement until I actually see the lake. It's large and looks deep. Perfect for swimming. From the looks of it, the sound came from the creek feeding the lake. Natsu looks back at me, a smile splitting his face. "Wanna go for a dip?" he asks playfully.

            I grin back. "Of course," I answer. I had gotten a few pairs of clothes while in Shigure, so I can change afterwards.

            Natsu sheds his bag and his shirt, leaving on his pants on along with his scarf. With a whoop of excitement, Natsu rushes for the water and jumps in, water splashing everywhere. I laugh, his joy infectious. After I moment of debate, I take off my dress, leaving only my white shift on. I had ditched the corset awhile back. Natsu hadn't seemed to even notice the last time he saw me half dressed like this, so I doubt he will this time either.

            I enter the lake much slower, walking in cautiously. The water is cool, a blessing on my sore feet. I can't see Natsu. I'm guessing he's playing around underwater. When I'm about waist deep, I feel something grab me and pick me up. I scream, only to hear a laugh from my assailant.

            "Put me down," I tell Natsu, angry but holding back a laugh of my own.

            "Whatever you say, Lucy," he replies in a tone that worries me.

            Natsu doesn't put me down right away, instead he seems to be concentrating on something. With a small shower of flames, wings appear on Natsu's back. I try to ask him how he did it, but he takes off, flying just over the surface of the water. Once we reach the center of the lake, Natsu drops me in.

            When I reach the surface again Natsu is already back in the water, wings gone. I splash Natsu in retaliation for his little trick.

            "Careful what you wish for," is his only defense.

            After the ensuing water fight ends, I ask Natsu about the wings.

            "Oh, those. I was wondering if I could only partway change and so I decided to test it out," he explains. "Looks like I can."

            We don't spend too much longer in the water, though we do agree to set up camp at the lake. Natsu gets out first to gather firewood and to give me privacy to change. As he steps out of the water, I find myself admiring him. My face flushes red as I realize what I'm doing.

            "Something wrong?" Natsu asks, noticing my discomfort.

            "Nothing," I assure him.

            He shrugs and head for the trees. At the edge of the tree line, Natsu pauses and calls back, "By the way, white clothing becomes see through when wet." He grins and disappears into the forest before I can react. With a squeal, I turn my back on the treeline, though I am still in the water and mostly hidden by it. Laughter echoes from behind me.

            "Pervert!" I snap at him.

            Later, when I change, I see that the shift wasn't all too see through. That still doesn't mean I'm happy with Natsu. When he comes back he's still grinning.

            "I wasn't looking," he promises me when he sees my expression. "I may be a dragon, but I do have manners."

            "You sure?" I grumble. I believe him though, at least the first part. Natsu doesn't seem the kind to stare.

                                                                  *******************************************

On the third day of the trip we travel mostly in silence. Not an awkward or tense silence, but like the kind that exists when neither person feels the need to fill every moment with conversation. It's nice. A softer, warmer version of the silence I'm used to. And with the quiet, I have a chance to look around at the scenery.

Trees of emerald green and flowers the colors of precious gems and faded book covers fill most of my vision. The tree trucks are probably the richest brown I have ever seen. It's not long until I start seeing animal life. Birds and squirrels make up most of the animals that I spot. Natsu stops, telling me to be quiet at one point. When I ask why, he points ahead of us. Following his finger, I notice a smudge of brown. A doe, and her fawn. It's not long before the pair see us as well and bound off, but the experience was amazing. Definitely better than anything that I experienced at home, better than anything I would have experienced married to Lord Markus.

The two of us share a smile and continue on our way.

Today we're climbing a rise of some sort. The view is blocked by trees, so I don't know how high up we are or what we're climbing. Due to the extra difficulty on this leg of the trip, Natsu calls for breaks more often. Well, I take a break. Natsu seems to be on high alert for some reason.

Around noon we reach a spot where the trees thin enough for me to see through. Down below, the horizon stretches on for miles. We've climbed much higher than I thought. In the distance I can see the edge of the forest and the town of Shigure.

Curious, I turn the other way. Unfortunately the way we're going is still blocked by trees.

"Don't worry. I know where we're going," Natsu promises, mistaking my disappointment for worry.


	22. Little Mountain Village

            That night I'm awoken by Natsu shaking me. "What is it, Natsu?" I groan, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

            "We're being followed," he answers in a hushed voice. "We need to get going."

            "Oh," I say softly. Natsu rises and holds out a hand to help me up. I take it and he pulls me to my feet. Hurrying back a few feet, I stand off to the side as Natsu shifts. Though the light from his change almost blinds me, I think I see shapes nearby. The shapes are already moving before I can shout a warning.

            Arrows are shot at Natsu. A few men rush forward with swords to slash at him.

            "No!" I yell. "Stop!"

            A hand clamps over my mouth, muffling anymore cries. Instead, I bit down on his hand and elbow the man in the stomach. He grunts and lets go. Natsu roars in my direction, calling for me. I rush towards him, darting through the men. A man grabs my arm. I kick blindly, hitting his leg. The man's grip weakened, I shake him off and run. When I reach Natsu, I climb onto his back. One of the men tries to stop me from getting on, but Natsu bats him away with his wing. Natsu flies once I'm on, away from the town we were originally heading for.

            We fly through the night and for a good portion of the day. By the time Natsu finally lands, the mountains that had always been in my view are long gone. Now I have no idea where we are.

            Natsu looks around cautiously before changing back. We're on the only rise for miles in the middle of a large, flat prairie.

            "Are you alright?" Natsu inquires.

            "What?" I ask, startled. "Me? I should be asking you. You were being shot and at stabbed."

            "Speaking of, would you mind helping me with something?"

                                                                       *******************************************

            Turns out Natsu has a few injuries, though it's interesting how they got proportionally smaller when he shifted. Anyway, I have to dig out some bandages from Natsu's pack. We don't have any disinfectant, but Natsu assures me that dragons have a strong immune system.

            "I'm getting a slight since of déjà vu," I comment as I wrap up an injury on his arm. Natsu looks at me questioningly, so I explain, "After my scuffle with Lord Markus, you helped patch me up. Though that was only a slight bump on my head. You've got a mix of stab and slash wounds scattered all over you."

            "Well, you were fighting a monster," Natsu shoots back. "I was just defending myself against a few humans."

            I smile appreciatively. "Unfortunately there are many of those kind of monsters around, and I'm not the only girl who's been betrothed to one. I was lucky enough to be kidnapped by a dragon days before my wedding."

            Our eyes lock for a moment. The expression on his face sends heat to mine. I glance away, and when I look up the expression is gone. Maybe I imagined it.

            Natsu is quiet, watching me as I finish up bandaging his injuries. His gaze makes me a little nervous, but I manage to get it done without any trouble. "Those weren't soldiers," he finally informs me as I'm packing the unused wrappings. His sudden proclamation startles me, causing me to drop the bandages.

            I snatch them back up and ask, "Who were they?"

            "They must of been people looking for the reward. I'm guessing someone realized that you are the one your father's looking for."

            I almost protest my remaining with Natsu again, but I know what he is going to say. He'll assure me that he's alright with me staying and that I shouldn't feel guilty for him being attack. But I do. If I hadn't come along with Natsu, he wouldn't be injured right now. He wouldn't have had to leave Shigure until he found out information about his father.

            "Tell me how I can help," I request. "If I'm going to continue traveling with you, I don't want to be a burden."

            Natsu seems a little startled by my demand, but he grins.

                                                                            *******************************************

            In the weeks it takes us to cross the prairie, I show Lucy how to differentiate between plants for eating and ones that can hurt you, how to track, and how to set traps. She's a fast learner, and she's even figured out a few plants that can be used for medicine. She said that she'd read about them back at the manor, though she's also said that she wants to make sure that she remembers everything correctly before using any for medicinal purposes.

            I guess she'll be looking for a herbalist or doctor when we reach the next town, though where the closest town is I have no idea. I kinda flew blindly when we ran from the attackers.

            "Will you be alright on your own for a little?" I ask her that night.

            "Sure. But why?" she queries.

            "I want to scout around," I explain to her. "Try to get our bearings and maybe see there's a town nearby."

            "Sounds like a good idea," Lucy states. "Just be sure to not be seen. Last thing we need is to get lost escaping again." She grins playfully. I smile back before changing and leaping into the sky.

                                                                          *******************************************

            I watch Natsu fly away, still amazed at the sight of a dragon taking flight. It's dark out, so no one should be able to see him even if Natsu flies low. When I lose sight of him in the air, I turn back to the crackling fire. There's a pheasant over it. The bird had been my first catch in a trap, and I'm a little proud of it.

            The pheasant is done cooking by the time Natsu comes back. "Good," Natsu growls happily. "I'm starvin'."

            I chuckle as he digs in. "Find anything?" I wonder.

            He mumbles something through a mouthful. "Swallow first," I groan. He does.

            "There's a town to the north," he answers finally. "It's really more of a village than a town, but it's only about a day's walk from here."

            "That's great," I cheer, thinking of sleeping on an actual bed and of being able to bathe. "We should try to find a map or something to tell us where we are while we're there."

            "Sounds like a plan," Natsu agrees.

            We eat the rest of the time in silence. We've been able to find food pretty easily, even out here on a prairie, but a full day of walking left both of us starved.

            Natsu and I head north in the morning. For most of the day, there's a flat lot of nothing, just like we'd been seeing for a week now. Around noon something peaks over the horizon. As we get closer I see that it's the tip of a mountain. Not one anywhere near as big as the ones near my house, but the familiar sight comforts me somewhat. Being able to see until the horizon on all sides has been freaking me out a little, having lived near a mountain range my whole life.

            The town itself comes as a surprise. Natsu was right when he said it looks more like a village. The houses are all brown with thatched roofs, so I don't see them until we're almost on top of them. It's structured much like a town, but the size and the building methods both scream village. It's actually quite nice.

            As Natsu and I come in quite late in the day-the sun is already starting to set-and because of the town's isolated position, we attract some attention. The town doesn't have an inn or tavern for us to spend the night, but a family is nice enough to let us sleep in... the barn. I sigh internally. It's gotta be better than the ground, right? They do let us take a bath to scrub the trip off.

            Anyway, Natsu doesn't seem to mind and I don't want to be rude, so I try to make myself comfortable on the straw. At least the smell is nice.

            The mother of the family comes out and delivers us some food before biding us goodnight.

            "These people are nice," Natsu observes. "Letting us stay for free in their barn."

            I nod in agreement, though the poking straw still bothers me. I can't really complain though. I saw the size of the family's house. There's not enough room for the family and us two.

            "I like this place," I tell Natsu. "It feels like something in a story book. Almost like a dragon could-" I cut off when I realize who I'm talking to, laughing at the absurdity of my situation right now. I've been a princess-according to Natsu-locked up in my house all my life. I read stories about princesses being kidnapped and rescued and fairy tales filled with mythical creatures and magic, but I'd never thought that any of that could happen to me. But here I am, running away from home with a _dragon_.

            Natsu grins with that same expression on his face as before, when I had been bandaging him. We'd been sitting a few feet apart, but Natsu moves closer, seeming to observe me curiously.

            "Ah, Natsu... What are you doing?" I ask nervously, leaning back slightly.

            He doesn't answer, but after a moment he leans back, still looking contemplative, but now gazing at the opposite wall instead of me.

                                                                     *******************************************

            I still can't understand the effect Lucy has on me, but I think I'm starting to. I don't know how to describe it, nor do I know if I should tell her. Lucy seems to have absolute faith in me, and I don't want to shatter it by telling her, especially since a large reason she's here with me now is because she is running away from a man with unwanted intentions.

            Oh well, I don't need to tell her. For the moment, I'm happy the way things are.

                                                                     *******************************************

About ten days the two of us stay at the village. Natsu walked around town, gathering information. I stayed at the house and helped the family out with the garden and inside chores. While I worked alongside the family, I asked about different plants, hoping to learn more about their medicinal properties. Knowing Natsu, I'll probably need to know this.

On our last night in the village, Natsu talks about our next destination. "It's a port town," he describes. "I've been there before, but this time the sighting is almost a sure thing. Almost every merchant and store owner has heard about there being a dragon there."

"How have they heard about it, though?" I ask Natsu. "From what the family has told me, not many people come here."

"Apparently a merchant went to that town recently, and that's when he heard about the dragon."

"Did he see this dragon?" I press.

"No..." Natsu concedes. "But this merchant isn't the only one who brought news of this dragon. A soldier came by while the merchant was gone and told the villagers about the dragon, warning them."

"And you didn't mention the soldier first because?" I challenge. "I feel like he'd be the more credible source."

Natsu crosses his arms and looks petulantly off to the side. "I heard about the merchant first," he grumbles.

I cover my mouth with my hand and giggle and his childlike behaviour.

"So, how far away is this town?" I inquire.

"It's more of a city," Natsu corrects. "And about a week and a half south on foot."

I groan, thinking about all the walking ahead.

"I could carry you," Natsu offers jokingly.

"No way in heck," I shoot back.

He chuckles and lays down, soon falling asleep.


	23. Wormwood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wormwood is a plant used to keep snakes out of gardens. This will be explained in story, but I just don't want anyone complaining about the randomness of it's inclusion.

            The cart rumbles and jolts along the path. I insisted we get a ride after I started developing blisters, since we're too close to town for Natsu to change form. It took me awhile to convince him , and he even offered to carry me again, but I turned that idea down vehemently. Now, Natsu is laying on his back, sick to his stomach. He sure wasn't kidding when he told me he got motion sick.

            The road smoothes out after about an hour or so, and it's not long until walls come into sight.

            "Is that Rugosa?" I ask. That is the name of the town we've been heading towards.

            "Yep," the man driving the cart answers.            

            "What are the walls for?" I wonder.

            "When Rugosa was a young town," the man explains, "it was the target of raiders by both land an' sea. As Rugosa is situated on the shore of a cove, the water part was easy to defend. That just left the land. Walls were built to cover that part."

            "Wow," I say. While the man talked, I could see the history playing out before my eyes. It's fascinating. Almost like reading a book.

            The man chuckles. "Ain't nowhere near as special as it sounds," he tells me. "Many port towns where targeted like that, and many still stand. Rugosa's history isn't unique in the slightest."

            "That doesn't mean it's not interested," I argue.

            The man just laughs again.

            By this point, we've passed under the stone entryway. The city of Rugosa unveils behind the large wall. All of the streets and buildings are made of the same gray stone as the wall. The city is bright and cheerful however. There are flower boxes on most of the windows and the roads are wide, letting in lots of light.

            "Natsu, look," I tell him as I gaze around at the buildings. His only response is some mumble words, unintelligible due to his motion sickness.

                                                                   *******************************************

            "You're sure you're alright?" I ask doubtfully. Natsu is stretched out on the wooden floor of our room at an inn. That's right, "our." We had enough money this time from working back at Shigure-and from a few dragons scales I snatched off of Natsu and then sold-to rent just one room.

            "I'll be fine," he groans. "Just-just give me a minute."

            I turn away from Natsu to face a table. The room is rather nice. There's a big bed, a chair-that I'm currently sitting in, and the table. On the table is a bunch of papers and a charcoal pencil. I had decided to journal our travels, maybe publish them as novels. It's not like anyone's going to believe any of what's happened, and I've always wanted to write a book.

            "What's that?" Natsu asks from behind me. I jump, the charcoal pencil leaving a line across the page.

            "When did you get up?" I gasp.

            "Just now," he answers simply. "Now, what's all this?"

            "Nothing," I tell him, gathering the pages into a stack, a blank page on the top. "Just a little writing."

            "About?" he presses.

            I shake my head. "Ah uh. I'm not telling you."

            "Come on, please?" Natsu begs.

            "No!" I shout, shoving Natsu away.

            He falls to the floor, looking cross. "That was rude."

            "So is not taking no for an answer," I shoot back.

            Natsu climbs to his feet and head for the door. "Ah, well, I'm gonna get something to eat. You want anything?"

            I shake my head. "Not hungry."

            "Alright, I'll be back in a little bit."

            Natsu leaves, shutting the door behind him. The silence fills the room quickly. It's been awhile since I've been by myself. It's kinda nice, though I'm already starting to miss Natsu.

            I turn back to the table and my papers. Now that I'm not being bothered, the words flow freely from me. When I read back through it though, I'm not impressed with my writing. I obviously need some practice.

            About an hour passes before I start to wonder where Natsu is. Putting away the papers, I head downstairs. Just like Peter and Emma's inn, this one serves food here. Not many people seem to be here though, which makes sense as it's only three in the afternoon. I ask one of the waitresses if they'd seen Natsu, and she says that he left about an hour ago. I guess he didn't eat here.

            I go to nearby taverns and restaurants, looking for Natsu and asking around. I'm really starting to get worried now. I know that he can take care of himself, but what if word had spread that Natsu was helping me? Some guys could've surprised him, capturing him before he had the chance to fight back or even shift. And I'm guessing that Natsu can't change when in an enclosed space, so maybe they have him locked in a steel cage or in-

            "Hey Lucy. Did you get hungry?"

            The voice almost stops my heart. Whirling around, I see Natsu behind me, having come form who knows where. I breathe a sigh of relief and grin.

            "What's up with you?" he wonders, confused.

            "Nothing," I tell him, laughing. "But I think I could eat now." Worry really makes you hungry, after it's gone away.

            Natsu takes my hand and leads me down a side street that I had missed in my searching. There isn't much down here, but the smell spilling out from an open door makes my stomach growl.

            "Did you smell this all the way from the inn?" I ask, disbelieving.

            "Yup," he answers.

            "I wish I had a nose like a bloodhound," I mutter. Natsu laughs as we enter the restaurant.

            The atmosphere of the places is wonderful, like something out of fairy tale. The room is comfortably dim, lit by a crackling fire that warms the place to perfection. On the air is the delicious scent of food cooking in the kitchen and the light sound of people chattering. Speaking of people, the restaurant is only about half full, so there's plenty of tables to sit at, but the place doesn't feel empty. Though the outside is made of the same gray stone as the rest, the inside is made of a dark chocolate colored wood.

            I guess my delight shows on my face, as Natsu chuckles after glancing my way. I puff out my cheeks in good-humored annoyance. He laughs again and walks over to a table in the center of the room. A waitress comes over and asks us what we want.

            "I'll take an apple pie," Natsu requests.

            The waitress nods. "Alright. And you ma'am?" she asks, looking at me.

            "Um, what do you recommend?"

            "Our stew is very popular," she answers.

            "I'll think I'll go with that," I tell her.

            "Good." The girl nods her head and heads off to the kitchen.

            I look around the room a little bit more before asking, "Didn't you just eat?"

            "So?"

            I raise a brow quizzically at him.

            "Alright, I may have eaten but I'm still hungry."

            "Dragons are known to gorge," I mumble playfully.

            "I heard that!"

            I laugh, and Natsu's glare turns into a soft smile. Our food comes as I get my breath back. It's just as great at the place. The meat is tender and well-seasoned, with just the right amount of fat on it to make the meat almost melt in my mouth.

            A sliding sound on the table brings my focus back to what's in front of me. Natsu's plate, now with just one slice of pie left, is now sitting next to mine. I glance at Natsu curiously.

            "What?" he asks. "I'm full, and I figured you'd like to try it."

            I grin. "Thank you," I tell him. Curiously, I take a bit of the pie. Just like the stew, the pie is perfectly seasoned, with cinnamon and nutmeg instead of salt and spices.

            I close my eyes in delight, trying to savor the flavor better. A chuckle across the table causes me to snap my eyes open again. Natsu's laughing at me. Rather than feeling annoyed, I smile back at him.

                                                                   *******************************************

            The next day, I'm wandering around the town by myself. Natsu is off searching for more information about that dragon, so I decided to take the chance to do a little sight-seeing. I don't have enough money to do any real shopping, but I go check out the open air market anyway. Nothing wrong with looking. However, as I'm looking around, a creeping feeling crawls up my back.

            I glance over my shoulder. Though I don't see anything, I stay on guard. There's a lot of people around here, and the crowd could be hiding something. The feeling stays with me the rest of the time I'm out, and it even follows me to the inn, though it goes away once I get inside.

            I'll have to be sure to tell Natsu about this when he gets back.

            After taking a few minutes to calm down, I sit down at the table to write while I have some time alone. I'm not very far into the line I'm writing when footsteps sound from the hall outside. I doubt it's Natsu, since I don't expect him back until sundown, but it could be anyone, as the inn is pretty booked.

            The footsteps stop in front of the door. My charcoal pencil freezes as I listen for anymore noises outside. The knob attempts to turn, but I had locked it earlier. My heartbeat pounds in my ears as I wait for the person's next move.

            A quiet scratching, clicking sound comes from the door. I think he's trying to pick the lock. Silently, I climb out of the chair. There's not much in the room that I can use as a weapon, but I'm sure the chair would stun just about anyone. While the person continues working on the lock, I move the chair into a good position to pick up and swing.

            A light click fills the room as the door unlocks. I pick up the chair as I man bursts through the entryway. He moves to grab me, but I swing the chair. It slams into him, cracking the back of the chair. I let go and dart out of the room. I'm just out of the door when I see another man in the hallway. He grabs me while the one behind I hit climbs to his feet. When I try to scream, the man holding me clamps a hand over mouth. He restrains my arms with his free one. I kick at him, but before I can land a solid blow, the other one knock me over the head with a piece of broken chair.

            Everything lights up before fading to black.

                                                                   *******************************************

The sun is rising when I wake up. The light is like knives to my eyes, and I have to squeeze them shut again. As the my mind clears, I find that my hands are bound behind my back and there's a gag in my mouth.

"Oy, she's awake," a voice calls out nearby. I open my eyes and blink rapidly until my eyes adjust to the light. I'm leaning against the side of a covered wagon, and the man who knocked me out is sitting across the way and more towards the front.

"Finally," the driver responds. "I was worried you hit 'er too hard."

"She was feistier than expected," the man defends lightly. "She's just supposed to be a runaway rich guy's daughter."

"Well, we got 'er now," the driver says. "We just need to 'and her over to 'er father and get the reward money."

At least I now know why I've been kidnapped, though I probably could have guessed. I do wonder about the rag though. Maybe they just don't want me talking.

"How long is it to the Heartfilia mansion?" the man in the back with me asks the driver.

"Five or six days," he informs the other.

                                                                   *******************************************

True to his word, the driver gets us back to my father in five days. Dad doesn't even come out to meet us. The men get their money from a servant, and Colleen takes me to my room.

"I take it my marriage to Lord Markus is still going to happen," I say to Colleen. There's really no other reason my father would be looking for me. My only value to him is as something to marry off and produce heirs.

She nods. "Though your virtue in now in question, the lord has decided to go through with the marriage."

I flush. I ran away with a guy, and that's been known for awhile now. Of course my virtue would be brought up, but I had never thought of that. Knowing Natsu, the fact that there is even a question of whether I'm still 'fit for marriage' is a little bit ridiculous.

"And-and when is this to occur?" I question.

"Three days from now," Colleen answers.

Natsu could get here by then. I know he will come for me, I just need to make it easier for him to rescue me. Unfortunately, that means I have to go along with what my father wants for now.

                                                                   *******************************************

It's about an hour after sunset when I finally make it back to the inn. No one as seen a dragon around here. I thought this lead was solid.

I notice something's wrong as soon as I get to the top of the stairs. Lucy's scent is intermingled with two strange men's.

"Lucy?" I call, walking quickly to the room. The door is open. On the floor is the chair, cracked with a few pieces broken off entirely from it. "Lucy?!"

People are starting to gather in the hallway, drawn by my yelling.

"Where is Lucy?!"

            The crowd scatters, afraid, though of what I don't know.  Snatching Lucy's papers, I charge out of the inn. The city is a blur in my peripherals as I speed my way down the street. It's when I reach the gates that I run into trouble.

"Look at tha'," a person calls. A person couldn't hear him over the distance between us, but obviously, I'm not a person. "There's fire sparking off of that man! It's the guy that kidnapped that noblewoman! He could change into a dragon, couldn' he? In't there a bounty on his head?"

I ignore him and the others chattering about me. It's not like they could stop me, even if they tried. And try they do. The man who was talking attempts to sneak up behind me, but I know he's there. Swinging around, I knock the guy off of his feet. His buddies rush me. They soon end up on the ground as well. It's easy to knock my attackers down, but more and more keep coming, either because of they just want to fight or because they know about the reward as well. I'm still managing to hold my own, but that changes when a cloth smelling of wormwood is held over my mouth and noise.

I start to weaken, and before I know it, my hands are being bound behind my back. My head pounds painfully as I get thrown in an old, rusty iron cage; the kind used to transport prisoners.

                                                                   *******************************************

Most of my trip is fuzzy, both because of my motion sickness and a constant supply of wormwood over my nose. My mind doesn't truly become clear until I'm tossed into a room that looks like a cell. I can vaguely remember arriving at Lucy's house and being dragged through the front room, down some stairs, and then thrown in here. I wonder if she knows there's a dungeon under her place.


	24. Not Long Separated

Oddly, I'm allowed to walk around the house as long as Colleen is with me. It's during my wanderings that I overhear talk about going downstairs. The manor is a two story, so that isn't all that strange, except for the fact that we're on the ground floor. When I ask Colleen about it, all she says is, "Are you sure you didn't mishear?" and leaves it at that.

During the night, I slip out of my room. There's no guards at my door, but I'm sure the servants are supposed to keep an eye out of me. Sneaking through the halls, I keep my head on a swivel, keeping an eye out for anyone else walking about. The stairs are the hard part. There's nowhere to hide when you're on the steps. I hurry down, practically gliding to the first floor.

I poke around the front room. There's nothing that I can find here. I eventually find a door in one of the guest rooms, hidden halfway behind armoire. It's a little surprising that I've never seen the door, but even when I was searching for monsters, I never really looked for secret doors.

I have to move the dresser before I can even try the door. Of course, it's locked. Chewing on my lip thoughtfully, I glance around for something to help me open the door. Nothing. There might be a key in my father's study, but he might be there, even at this time of night.

I try the door once more before heading back upstairs. Slinking along near the wall, I make my way to Dad's study. A quick glance confirms that Dad is not in there, as there is no light shining from under the door. When I try this door, it clicks open easily, though the sound of the door swinging inward seems to echo up and down the hallway. I freeze, and glance up and down the hallway.

           There's no one in sight, so I slip into the room and shut the door quickly behind me. Some silvery light pours in from the massive window on the other side of the room. It's not enough for me to search by, so I search for a lantern. There's one on a table near the door, along with some matches. I strike the match and light the lantern. Now I can find the keys.

Some digging in the drawers of the desk reveals they're hidden under a false bottom. "Did you really think that was fooling anybody, Dad?" I mutter to myself as I replace it. A click sounds from the door as the knob turns. I stop, the false bottom only partially in place. The drawer hiding the keys is the last one down, so I'm kneeling on the ground, and the desk hides me from the entrance of the room. But if my dad, or whoever else it may be, looks over the edge they'd be able to see me. I quickly put out the lamp.

The door swings open softly. Putting the false bottom all the way back, I close the drawer softly. There's a hallow to put your legs in when you're sitting at the desk, and it's big enough for me to hide in. Carefully, I move under the desk, avoiding the chair.

Footsteps move closer to the desk, stopping right in front of it. Light peaks over the edge of the desk. There's rustling, and then a few sharp taps of paper hitting wood. Business done, the footsteps head back towards the door. I wait for another three minutes before I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

I crawl out from under the desk and straighten out. Dad's keys in hand, I stumble my way for the door. The trip back to the secret door is uneventful. Once I find the right key, the door opens toward me without a single squeak, revealing a staircase leading down. A hint of an herbal scent pours out.

With one last glance over my shoulder, I step through the doorway. I check to make sure that the lantern is still burning before I shut the heavy door behind me. The stairway is dark, save for a few torches spaced out pretty far. The stairs go down quite far; it takes me about three minutes to reach the bottom.

At the bottom, I peek around the corner and see a guard. He seems to be asleep. A relief for me, as I'm not sure how I'd get past him if was awake. Still, I take care to sneak by as quickly and quietly as possible. There also seems to be incense burning. That's the source of the smell.

The guard is sitting in a small, rectangular chamber. There's a corridor, big enough for four thin people to walk abreast, that leads from the room we're in. The guard can see partway down the corridor from where he's sitting currently. The walkway is lined with rooms, about six in all.

The rooms each have metal doors with small, barred windows. I dart up to the first door and peer in. It's empty. I turn to the cell across the hall. There is a shape on the floor. Biting my lip, I glance over at the sleeping guard. Quietly, I call through the bars, "Natsu?"

The shape on the ground stirs and moves to a sitting position. "Lucy?" I hear whispered back.

"Natsu!" I cheer under my breath. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I'm not doing much of anything right now," he points out. Natsu climbs to his feet, wavering back and forth.

"Are you alright?" I wonder. "And why can't you just turn dragon and bust out?"

"I think it has something to do with this scent," Natsu explains. "I don't know why, but it's affecting me."

"Do you know what the scent is?" I ask him.

He nods. "Wormwood."

"Wormwood is supposedly used by some to keep snakes out of their gardens," I inform Natsu. "I guess the smell does something to reptiles."

"Whatever," he mutters. "Do you think you could get me out of here? I'll be fine if I can get away from this smell."

"I need to find some keys," I answer.

"Be careful," Natsu warns.

"I will be." I grin at Natsu before going back to the guard. I'm guessing that he has some keys on him. Searching around him is difficult, as I obviously can't make much noise, nor am I confident enough in my meager pick-pocketing skills to search thoroughly. I finally find them, not on the guard, but on a hook in the corner. I roll my eyes in annoyance at not having noticed them before. Carefully, I ease the keys off the hook, flinching at every little clink. The guard is still sleeping. Father really needs to hire better guards. Or maybe get something to keep them entertained when on guard duty.

I slip back to Natsu's cell and try a couple of keys. The door unlocks loudly. I freeze, glancing over at the guard. He still seem to be a-

The guards eyes snap open. "Hey, you! What are you doing here?" The guard climbs to his feet, about to make his way over to me.

"Lucy!" Natsu calls from the cell. I step back from the door. Seeing I'm away from the door, he bursts out of the cell, fire sparking off of him. Natsu has to steady himself as he's still effected by the wormwood.

"Natsu," I gasp. "You can't fight right now."

He grits his teeth. I know he heard me, and he's debating whether to stay here and fight, or grab my hand and run. The guard draws his sword and Natsu tenses, getting ready to move. The guard charges. I dart past the guard, surprising both him and Natsu. Grabbing the chair the guard was sitting on, I whip around and knock him on the head. This time, the man I hit crumbles to the ground and stays down.

Natsu gaps at me, stunned. Chuckling, he breaks out into a grin. "Nice going, Lucy."

I smile back and giggle. "No problem."


	25. Transgressions of the Heart

            I guess morning had broken while we were underground, which means that today is the day that Lord Markus is to arrive. That means more guards stationed throughout the manor and more servants bustling about. My absence will soon be noticed, if it hasn't already. Our best bet is to sneak out through the gardens again. Father rarely has those patrolled, the servants have no reason to be there, and the trees at the edge should give us cover.  
            Of course, this means making our why through the manor. As I guessed, there are an increased number of guards roaming the halls and servants rushing around, putting finishing touches on this and that.  
            "What's all this for?" Natsu hisses under his breath while we're hiding in a room, waiting for a servant to pass. We're sitting against the wall, Natsu listening to the footsteps.  
            "Lord Markus is coming today," I reply.  
            "What?" Natsu's almost loud enough to give us away. I try to quiet him, but Natsu keeps going. "Why is that jerk coming here?"  
            I clamp a hand over his mouth and sigh. "He still plans to marry me."  
            Natsu grabs my hand by the wrist, moving it aside gently. He doesn't say anything, but he look furious.  
            "Natsu?"  
            He shakes his head. "It's nothing." Natsu releases my arm and climbs to his feet. "The servant is gone."  
            I'm confused, but I rise from my position on the ground to follow him out of the room. We almost make it to the gardens when Natsu stops and pulls me into what appears to be a closet. I strain my ears to hear out in the hallway. More footsteps thud softly down the hall, drawing nearer. They stop in front of the closet. Natsu's grip on my hand tightens as he tenses, readying to either run or fight. I squeeze back, telegraphing my confidence in him while simultaneously restraining him.  
            The door clicks open. I let go of Natsu's hand, taking a step behind him. The door opens to reveal and servant and a guard. I curse our bad luck. But we had managed to fight off the guard in the dungeon, so we should be able to handle ourselves here. The only real problem is if more guards come. All we need to do is get out into the garden. There Natsu can transform and we can be up in the air in seconds.  
            Neither of us can do anything stuffed in this closet, however. We need to get out of here, but the guard and the servant are blocking the way. Natsu launches forward, hitting the guard in the face. The servant runs off before Natsu can do something about him. Well, that problem's solved.  
            "Run, Lucy!" Natsu shouts.  
            I bolt out of the closet, to the door leading out to the gardens. Natsu isn't far behind me. More footsteps sound behind us, but I have the door open and we're out in the open before they catch us. Natsu starts to shift as the guards burst through the doorway. I move to avoid them, but they manage to grab me before Natsu has fully changed.  
"Lucy!" I hear half roared from him. I struggle against my captors to no avail. Natsu tries to swipe them away, now fully a dragon. The guards keep me between them and Natsu, making it near impossible to get a good angle on them. They drag be back into the manor.  
            Desperate, I kick at one of the guards knees. My foot connects and a pair of hands releases their grip on me as the man falls. Another guard steps up to fill the vacancy before I have the chance to slip free. I stop fighting, instead taking the opportunity to examine my situation and look for openings.  
            There are four guards, one now limping from when I struck him; two more are restraining me; the final one is close behind the two leading me. That means the area in front of me is wide open. If I can get free, I'll be able to make a run for it. The guards are wearing armor, however light. They'll be weighed down by it. I should be able to run farther and faster than them. And it's more likely that I know the house better than they do. I can use that to my advantage.  
            We seem to be heading back towards a stairway. My guess is that I'm either being taken to my father or back to my room. Roars reverberate loudly through the halls. Clangs of metal, shouts of panic, and rallying cries can be heard as well. I guess Natsu is still fighting.  
            When we reach the landing halfway up the stairs, I shove my weight backwards. The two guards restraining me are on the step below, while I have the entire landing to myself. My sudden push knocks them off balance. One lets go to steady himself. The other tightens his grip on my, using me to regain his balance. I fight against the guard, but soon the other grabs me again. The not hobbled guard moves in front of us, blocking my escape route should I try again.  
            At the top of the stairs, we turn right instead of left. Father it is.  
            The guards lead me to Dad's office. The one in front of us opens the door. Peering through the entrance, I see my father standing behind his desk, his back to the door. There's another person inside Father's office as well. Lord Markus.  
            I'm pushed through the doorway. Lord Markus gains a creepy grin when he lays eyes on me. I grit my teeth and turn towards my father. "We have Lucy, my lord," the soldier who opened the door announces.  
            Dad is silent for a time. "Clear the room," he finally orders. The guard bows. He and the other three step out of the room. As the sound of the door shutting reverberate around the room, my father finally faces me. I expect him to chew me out or tell me my punishment or something. Instead, he just coldly states, "Lucy, I expect you to marry Lord Markus. Enough of this childish behavior."  
            My hands ball into fists so tight that my nails dig into my hands. Childish? Childish. Sure, maybe running away isn't the best way to deal with this, but I'm just trying to take control of my life again. What's childish is pushing away your daughter just because she, I, look like Mom.  
            I breathe deeply through my nose. "Dad," I state. "I know running away was wrong, and if I could do it again, I would do it differently. I would walk up to you and tell you that I am leaving. I'd turn Lord Markus down to his face. I'd say good-bye to Colleen. Since I'm back home now, I'll take the opportunity to do so.  
            "Nothing has been well between us since Mom died. You pushed me away. I understand that you were hurting, that you're still hurting. But guess what, I was too. I was a child who lost both her parents in one fell swoop. One to death, the other to his work. I've been wanting to leave for awhile now, but I could never bring myself to. All my memories of Mom are here and I didn't think that I could make it on my own. Now I don't have to. And now I can. Natsu is helping me.  
            "He's thought me how to take care of myself. He's shown me a world outside of these walls. He's cared for me in a way no one has since I was a child. But you know what, I would have stayed. I would have lived my live as I was supposed to had you not married me off, sold me essentially. Who I marry should be the one choice I have in life, and you took even that away.  
            "What I want isn't money, pretty dresses, or fortune forced upon me. I'm not Lucy of Heartfilia anymore! Natsu recognizes me as just Lucy and cares for me far more than you have since Mom died!"  
            My father looks furious while Markus continues to grin. "You are my daughter," my father's voice booms. "And you will do as I say."  
            Markus approaches, holding out a hand to grab mine. I swat it away, a satisfying _slap!_ sounding from the connection. "Don't touch me," I warn. His touch brought a disgusted shiver to my spine, an unwelcome reminder of his attempted assault. Markus doesn't seem to take the hint, and my father turns his back on us.  
            "I just want to give my fiancée a kiss," Markus croons.  
            "I said, back off!"


	26. The Final Escape

The guards were prepared for my escape. All their weapons are coated with wormwood and some even have smoke bombs laced with the stuff. Roaring in annoyance, I fan the smoke away with angry flicks of my wings. The wind knocks over a few of the guards. Four more are swept aside by my claws, landing in the bushes some three yards away. The three who had been flatten by my wings get back on their feet, making the number still standing seven in total. I huff, a puff of smoke escaping my snout. Opening my mouth, a fount of flames spew forth.  
The guards dive out of the way of my attack, leaving me an opening. I change back, zipping through the door and down the hall once I'm small enough. I make it to the end of Lucy's scent trail, a door on the second story. Guards are shouting down below. It seems they hadn't seen where I'd gone. A handful of them are coming this way, to boost the guard around Lucy presumably. Better get this over with fast.  
I'm about to bust down the door when a voice stops me, Lucy's voice. "Dad," I hear. "I know running away was wrong, and if I could do it again, I would do it differently. I would walk up to you and tell you that I am leaving. I'd turn Lord Markus down to his face. I'd say good-bye to Colleen. Since I'm back home now, I'll take the opportunity to do so now.  
"Nothing has been well between us since Mom died. You pushed me away. I understand that you were hurting, that you're still hurting. But guess what, I was too. I was a child who lost both her parents in one fell swoop. One to death, the other to his work. I've been wanting to leave for awhile now, but I could never bring myself to. All my memories of Mom are here and I didn't think that I could make it on my own. Now I don't have to. Natsu is helping me.  
"He's thought me how to take care of myself. He's shown me a world outside of these walls. He's cared for me in a way no one has since I was a child. But you know what? I would have stayed. I would have lived my live as I was supposed to had you not married me off, sold me off essentially. Who I marry should be the one choice I have in life, and you took even that away.  
"What I want isn't money, pretty dresses, or fortune forced upon me. I'm not Lucy of Heartfilia anymore! Natsu recognizes me as just Lucy and cares for me far more than you have!"  
A grin spreads across my face. Way to go, Lucy.  
"You are my daughter," her father's voice booms through the door. "And you will do as I say."  
"Don't touch me," Lucy warns, a cold edge to her voice.  
"I just want to give my fiancée a kiss," a man croons. I instantly recognize the voice as Markus's.  
"I said, back off!"  
The door is off its hinges before the last traces of Lucy's shout fade.  
*******************************************  
Markus is swatted away, becoming a blurred figure before slamming into my father's desk seconds after the door to the office crashes open. Dad starts, turning around to find the source of the noise. I stand frozen. It's Natsu. Guards pour in through the door behind him, cutting off our escape route.  
Markus pushes himself back to his feet, one hand on the desk, the other rubbing his back. My father, red and livid, commands to the guards, "Get this scaly rat out of here!" They charge forward. Natsu grabs my wrist and darts out of the way, pulling me with him. I slam against his chest when he comes to a stop. He wraps his other arm around me in a protective manner as he looks around the room for a way out. His gaze settles on the large window my father is perpetually looking out of.  
A jolt of fear zips through me. "You can't mean to-"  
Natsu's grip tightens around me. The guards are almost on us when Natsu rushes for the window. He releases the arm around me, keeping his hold on my wrist as we careen for the large glass opening. Natsu holds up his free arm to shield his eyes as he bursts through the window. Shards of glass bounce off of my arm, raised like Natsu's. As we leave the gaping hole made by our exit, Natsu holds me close again. The ground rush up toward us. I don't scream. I brace for impact, shutting my eyes in fear, the wind whipping through my hair and tearing at my clothes the only sign that we're moving through the air.  
The impact comes, but different than I had expected. Pain, twisting sharply through every cell of my body I had expected. Or maybe sudden blackness, an absence of all things. I hadn't expected to be cradled by a pair of arms, absorbing the momentum of my fall; I hadn't excepted to feel a chest rising and falling quickly with each adrenaline filled breath; I hadn't excepted to hear a hard pounding near my ear.  
"Are you okay, Lucy?" Natsu asks. I open my eyes and look up to see Natsu gazing down at me.  
I nod my head, still in disbelieve that we're alive. "I-I'm fine," I answer.  
He sets me on my feet and looks around. The guards haven't reached us yet, though they are bound to, it's not like our exit was exactly stealthy. The ground around us has crumbled from our impact. It's an odd thing to notice right now, I should be more worried about us getting away from the mansion as quickly as possible. Maybe I'm still reeling from the fact that we are alive.  
Natsu takes my hand and grins brightly. "Then let's go!" Laughing, I run behind Natsu.  
Above us, looking through the window we crashed through, my father watches as we depart. "Stop!" he shouts, not at us but at his guards. "Let them go." The guards come to a halt and glance back at my father in confusion. He huffs angrily and turns away from the shattered window.  
*******************************************  
I'm still laughing lightly to myself as we set up camp that night. "Why do you think he let us go?" Natsu asks as he builds a fire.  
"He probably doesn't want to deal with you again," I answer. More seriously, "Thank you, Natsu."  
He shakes his head. Natsu makes a few adjustments to the firewood before meeting my eyes. "Lucy, I'd have taken on an entire army for you."  
I flush red and look away. "I'm sure you would," I try to tease.  
"I mean it Lucy," he insists. "You mean a lot to me."  
Though my face burns an even darker red, I glance up to look at Natsu. He's as serious as I've ever seen him. "You mean a lot to me too Natsu," I finally say. "You were a friend when I had none, you're my hero when I need one, and you let me at least try to take care of myself. I love you, Natsu."  
The smile that splits Natsu's face is the largest I've seen so far from him. "I love you too Lucy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long to complete this fic. My writings has improved since I started it and it was hard matching the way I wrote previously. I might rewrite this fic later on, especially since I'm not very happy with the ending. Thank you everyone who enjoyed reading this.


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